Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - October 2018

C A R I B B E A N

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C MPASS OCTOBER 2018 NO. 277

The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore

CARRIACOU 2018 DAVON BAKER

See stories from page 15 - 18

OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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JONNY HAWKINS

The Caribbean’s Monthly Look at Sea & Shore www.caribbeancompass.com

OCTOBER 2018 • NUMBER 277

Carriacou Regatta An iconic island event ...... 15-18

Info & Updates ...................... 4 Business Briefs ....................... 6 Y2A ......................................... 9 Eco-News .............................. 10 Regatta News........................ 12 Destinations......................21, 22 The Caribbean Sky ............... 28 Seaboard Birds ..................... 30

Look Out For… ...................... 31 Cooking with Cruisers .......... 32 What’s on My Mind............... 33 Caribbean Market Place ..... 34 Calendar of Events ............... 37 Meridian Passage ................. 37 Classified Ads ....................... 38 Advertisers Index .................. 38

Caribbean Compass is published monthly by Compass Publishing Ltd., The Valley, P.O. Box 727, Anguilla, British West Indies.

Tel: (784) 457-3409, Fax: (784) 457-3410, compass@caribbeancompass.com, www.caribbeancompass.com

Antigua’s quiet side .............. 21 AARON JALIL

Publisher..................................Tom Hopman tom@caribbeancompass.com Editor...........................................Sally Erdle sally@caribbeancompass.com Assistant Editor...................Elaine Ollivierre jsprat@vincysurf.com

Cruisers can contribute ........ 26

Caribbean Compass welcomes submissions of articles, news items, photos and drawings.

See Writers’ Guidelines at www.caribbeancompass.com. Send submissions to sally@caribbeancompass.com.

We support free speech! But the content of advertisements, columns, articles and letters to the editor are the sole responsibility of the advertiser, writer or correspondent, and Compass Publishing Ltd. accepts no responsibility for any statements made therein. Letters and submissions may be edited for length and clarity. ©2018 Compass Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication, except short excerpts for review purposes, may be made without written permission of Compass Publishing Ltd. ISSN 1605 - 1998

On the cover: This shot by Carriacou’s ace photographer Davon Baker was taken at Carriacou Regatta 2011 — but some things never change!

See 2018 Carriacou Regatta reports starting on page 15 Compass covers the Caribbean! From Cuba to Trinidad, from Panama to Barbuda, we’ve got the news and views that sailors can use. We’re the Caribbean’s monthly look at sea and shore.

Santa Marta Cartagena Bocas del Toro

Click Google Map link to find the Caribbean Compass near you!

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‘Caribbean Compass is a must for sailors who spend time in the region.’

— Readers’ Survey respondent

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

More Than a Canal Caring for Coasts

Art, Design & Production.........Wilfred Dederer wide@caribbeancompass.com Advertising & Administration...Shellese Craigg shellese@caribbeancompass.com Advertising compass@caribbeancompass.com

OCTOBER 2018

Parham Gives Pause

Harbor-hopping in Panama... 22

DEPARTMENTS

Forecasts for the season ....... 24 CHRIS DOYLE

GUINELL OLLIVIERRE-HAZELL

Profuse Predictions

IF TOO LONG, SAVE BVI FOOD FETE FOR NEXT MONTH

We want to thank everyone who participated in the building of the blocks right through to their installation.

Visit us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/SustainableGrenadines, for more information.

JAMES CROCKETT

Info & Updates New Moorings at Ashton Lagoon, Grenadines The Sustainable Grenadines NGO reports: Ten new concrete mooring blocks have been installed in Union Island’s Ashton Lagoon, near Frigate Island. We already see that yachts are utilizing the moorings instead of anchoring.

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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SUSGRENINC

OCTOBER 2018

Positive News from Soufriere, St. Lucia James Crockett reports: There is positive news from Soufriere, St. Lucia to share with the yachting community.

As part of my engagement with the St. Lucia Department of Tourism as Community Yachting Consultant, I am assisting the boat vendors of Soufriere to professionalize their services and enhance yachties’ experience when visiting Soufriere and the Pitons.

I recently visited the jetty that dinghies come in to when visiting the town. There I spoke with Carter Emmanuel, the Dock Master employed by the Soufriere Regional Development Foundation, who filled me in on some impressive developments already implemented or underway: • The security gate has been moved to the roadside to control all access to and from the jetty. From October 1st, a sign-in and sign-out will be required to further control activity on the dock and formalize it.

• The jetty is manned from 9:00AM to 5:00PM by ISPS-certified wardens (the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority undertook training in June) who are also licensed Special Police Constables with powers of arrest. The jetty is therefore now Soufriere’s dock master, properly managed to a high standard.

Carter Emmanuel • Security officers are also nearby to control any harassment on exiting the gate.

• The Soufriere Dock Master has a VHF radio and can be hailed on Channel 16 to request information on sea and current conditions if coming alongside for water, drop off, etcetera. Contact is encouraged on entering Soufriere Bay as a courtesy.

• New signage, reflective tape and solar lighting are being installed.

• Security cameras are already installed to view dinghy dock area.

• Spot lighting is in place and motion-sensor lighting soon to follow.

• Registered boat cleaners will be allowed access to the dock to undertake boat cleaning services or maintenance, etcetera, and they will have an official pass and dress code.

Overall, a significant level of attention is being given to improving the Soufriere jetty experience, safety and security. There should be zero harassment or dinghywatching rackets going forward. Kudos to the SRDF team for all the enhancements to the jetty, and to the SMMA (Soufriere Marine Management Area) and the Marine Police and Police for the nighttime security patrols, which have resulted in zero crimes against yachts being reported in Soufriere since October 2017.

We’ll have more news on this developing story in next month’s Compass.

—Continued on next page

We would also like to announce to the general public that currently, the moorings can be used within a trial period for FREE! The Sustainable Grenadines Inc. (SusGren) will announce at a later date the management process of these moorings.

*

Built by sailmakers dedicated to building the finest, most durable and technologically advanced sails possible.

British Virgin Islands Doyle Sailmakers BVI, Ltd Road Reef Marina Road Town, Tortola Tel: (284) 494 2569 bob@doylecaribbean.com

Barbados Doyle Offshore Sails, Ltd Six Crossroads St Philip Tel: (246) 423 4600 joanne@doylecaribbean.com

www.DOYLECARIBBEAN.com Antigua & Barbuda Star Marine Jolly Harbour

Jamaica PJG Kingston

St. Vincent Barefoot Yacht Charters Blue Lagoon

Costa Rica Stellar Sails Puntaarenos

Martinique Voilerie Du Marin 30 Bld Allegre

Trinidad & Tobago AMD Chaguaramas

Curacao Zeilmakerij Harms Kapiteinsweg #4

Panama Regency Marine Panama City

USVI St Croix Wilsons' Cruzan Canvas Christiansted

Dominica Puerto Rico Dominica Marine Center Atlantic Canvas & Sail Roseau Fajardo, Puerto Rico SABORE - PRIVILEGE 585

Grenada Turbulence Sails True Blue St George

St Lucia Rodney Bay Sails Rodney Bay

www.yachtshotsbvi.com * Dacron and HydraNet only

—Continued from previous page Working Link for New Colombia Guide It was brought to our attention by Compass readers that the “We Transfer” hyperlink for the PDF of the newly revised and updated Colombia Cruising Guide, given in last month’s Compass, has expired.

SALLY ERDLE

Course. The course is designed to provide relevant and affordable sail training for watersports staff at resorts across the Caribbean.

The first course will be taught by Antiguan trainers Sylvester Thomas and Shawn Ambrose, who are instructors at the National Sailing Academy and Antigua Yacht Club. They have both undergone extensive training to teach the new course. It is hoped that, following the implementation of the first course, this will be rolled out throughout the Caribbean.

The first course is taking place from October 15th through 17th at the National Sailing Academy in Antigua. The CSA thanks Sailors for the Sea for its sponsorship of the course, and also St. James’s Club Resort for use of their facility and feedback from their team.

Resorts or staff interested in attending the course this month can find out more by e-mailing info@nationalsailingacademy.org.

If you are with a club or school in the region and would like more information on teaching the course in your country in the future, e-mail vp@caribbean-sailing.com.

BVI Food Fete Events Next Month Dine your way through the BVI next month!

On November 3rd, sample the best that Tortola’s restaurants have to offer at the Taste of Tortola, from 3:00PM at Tortola Pier Park, Road Town.

Then sail over to Jost Van Dyke to get piggy at the Jost Pork Festival on November 11th, from noon onward.

BVI.GOV.VG

A permanent link to the guide, kindly provided by Colombia’s Nautical Tourism Advisor, Jairo Andres Aguilera Soto, can be found at www.fontur.com.co/corporativo/turismo-nautico/104

Welcome Aboard!

In this issue of Caribbean Compass we welcome new advertisers, Centenario yacht agents of Panama, on page 30; and Douglas Yacht Services of Martinique, on page 33. Good to have you with us!

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

CSA Resort Sailing Instructor Course this Month The Caribbean Sailing Association has announced the first CSA Resort Instructor

On November 17th, drop the hook at Virgin Gorda when Taste of the BVI visits the Fat Virgin, from 6:00PM. The Cooper Island Rum Festival will change things up on November 18th.

Finally, head over to Anegada for the Anegada Crawl on November 23rd, and the Anegada Lobster Festival on the 24th and 25th.

Visit bvifoodfete.com for more information.

OCTOBER 2018

Donate Now to Enter Vacation Sweepstakes Harriet and Tom “TL” Linskey, co-founders of Hands Across the Sea, report: Donate to Hands Across the Sea and enter the 2018 Caribbean Getaway Sweepstakes and you’ll be in to win one of three great Caribbean vacation experiences, plus you’ll be putting brand new books into the hands of children in Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

Follow the sweepstakes entry link to make a donation to Hands Across the Sea to help raise the literacy levels of Caribbean children and you’re in the drawing for a one-week bareboat charter for four in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, courtesy of Horizon Yacht Charters. The second and third prizes are seven nights for four (two rooms) at The Verandah Resort & Spa, a luxury retreat on Antigua, or at the St. James’s Club, Morgan Bay, on St. Lucia, courtesy of Elite Island Resorts.

Entries close at 11:59PM on Friday, October 12th.

Visit asa.com/partners/hands-across-the-sea/sweepstakes for more information.

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OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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BUSINESS BRIEFS Budget Marine Trinidad: Connecting with Customers Nicole Corvellec reports: Unlike smaller Caribbean islands, the distances from one end of Trinidad to the other are considerable and many customers are not within reach of the well-stocked Budget Marine store in Chaguaramas. Even for those that are, getting there can take patience with traffic congestion on the roads to the busy boating centre.

As a result, Budget Marine Trinidad has introduced initiatives to make their products and services more accessible to customers. The first was opening a second Trinidad store, at the Trinidad & Tobago Yacht Club compound in Bayshore.

This store has been serving the boat owners and marine contractors of this area for two years with much success. The outlet has a good selection of products and can deliver any other products within a day, saving customers a trip to Chaguaramas.

For customers farther out, Budget Marine Trinidad now delivers goods at a reasonable price with the increasingly popular service of TTPOST Courier Service. Payment is easy via PayWise, including for those who do not have an account with Budget Marine.

Businesses in the far reaches of the country interested in products from Budget Marine can request a visit from the company’s most experienced sales specialist, who takes to the road on certain days to provide a personalised service to customers. If your business is interested in this service be sure to let the company know.

These outreach options go a long way to make shopping at Budget Marine more efficient and enjoyable. That being said, customers who do make the effort to come to the main Chaguaramas store will still be given a warm Trini welcome. To make their retail experience in the main store as pleasant and practical as possible, there’s a close-by dinghy dock for customers anchored in the bay, and free Wi-Fi access for customers.

Want to learn more about these new initiatives? Give Budget Marine Trinidad a call at (868) 634-2006 or contact them through Facebook or e-mail Trinidad@budgetmarine.com.

For more information on Budget Marine see ad on page 2.

What’s On at Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina, St. Vincent Rhea Gooding reports: A warm welcome awaits you in St. Vincent at a wonderful hotel and marina created by a sailor for sailors and all lovers of the sea. Located in the southeast of the island, our reef-sheltered lagoon is the perfect backdrop for relaxation and the ideal starting-point to explore the island by land or sea. We are a full-service marina offering fuel, shore power, ice, water, 30 beautifully designed hotel rooms, restaurants, charter office, grocery store, laundry service, swimming pool and much more! Prices are available via our website. Located 50 metres away from the dock is our Port of Entry, which is open daily from 9:00AM to 6:00PM.

Dock with us and get: Free rum punch on arrival for everyone on board, ten percent off your final bill at the Loft restaurant, access to swimming pool and showers, and free WiFi. The Loft restaurant offers weekly entertainment: Wednesday features a Barbecue Buffet from 6:30PM to 10:00PM, with a live performance.

Friday is Happy Hour from 5:00PM to 8:00PM, with drinks on special and a live performance.

On Saturday, enjoy our Seafood Buffet from 6:30PM to 10:00PM, with a live performance.

Sunday Brunch is served from 11:00AM to 2:00PM We look forward to welcoming you to our island of Paradise!

For more information on Blue Lagoon Marina see ad on page 20.

Richard Murphy Joins Clarkes Court Boatyard & Marina Pearly Mitchell reports: Clarkes Court Boatyard and Marina in Grenada is pleased to announce our newest team member, Richard Murphy.

Richard is a lifelong sailor and boat owner, who grew up in the UK. Sailing on the south coast of the UK and in France, during vacations he spent his time chartering sailboats in many of the countries around the Mediterranean Sea. —Continued on next page

—Continued from previous page Richard obtained a PhD in mechanical engineering at Bristol University. He later spent 15 years working for Nestlé in various engineering and operational roles.

Throughout that time Richard continued to own and sail his own boats.

After working for quite some time, Richard decided to go cruising with his wife and two boys. They sailed the east coast of Canada and the USA before joining the Caribbean1500 sailing rally to the British Virgin Islands. They then continued their journey down to the Eastern Caribbean islands until reaching Grenada.

Given Richard’s boat ownership and sailing background, he has seen and been a customer of many marinas and boatyards around the world and as such understands the importance of customer care. With his previous role as an engineer and operations manager, Richard has the technical skills to make and improve the operations and services of CCBM as we aim to expand going forward. He strongly believes: “Everyone has individual needs and we should take the time to find solutions for all our customers.”

Please join with us to welcome our new Boatyard and Marina Manager, Dr. Murphy. CCBM extends best wishes to him as we work together as a team.

For more information on Clarkes Court Boatyard and Marina see ad on page 15.

Improvements to Bocas del Toro Boating Facilities Luis Fabian reports: Bocas Marina in Panama will soon begin construction of their new state-of-the-art floating dock, which is designed to accommodate large and very large yachts. Sail and power boats from 70 feet and upwards will be able to tie up only 100 yards from Bocas Town itself. The power boxes will feature 100 amps and

OCTOBER 2018

Parts & Power, Tortola — Give Them a Call!

The Parts & Power Team in Tortola reports: We’re delighted to advise that our landlines were finally re-installed last month — after more than 11 months of waiting!

Our main number is still (284) 494-2830 and it has voicemail on it. Our fax line is (284) 494-6972.

Give us a call!

Visit www.partsandpower.com for more information on Parts & Power.

Bequia Plantation Hotel Re-Opens Next Month Lewis Scrimgeour reports: With its prime beachfront location, secluded at the southern end of Admiralty Bay, Bequia Plantation Hotel’s atmosphere is filled with the scent of blooming flowers, and coconut trees are nestled amidst acres of mature land. Within these grounds are newly renovated villas and suites.

Bequia Plantation Hotel offers a vacation and dining experience that is not to be missed! Whether you come along to dine or stay with us, all of your needs will be taken care of from the moment you step into paradise. Day passes also available.

Re-opening November 1st. Live music every Sunday.

Visit https://bequiaplantationhotel.com for more information on Bequia Plantation Hotel.

Whisper Cove Marina Leasehold for Sale Lynn Fletcher reports: Whisper Cove Marina is a well-loved business in Grenada that welcomes everyone, especially cruisers. The current tenants have decided after ten years of having the business that they want to focus on their next adventure in life, which hopefully will involve sailing again as that’s how they fell to open the business opportunity in the first place. The leasehold is up for sale and includes the 15-slip and seven-mooring marina, maintenance workshop, storage area, restaurant and minimarket located in Clarkes Court Bay opposite the Boatyard. The business comes with a four-year leasehold with the right to extend for another five years, For more information visit www.whispercovemarina.com, and see ad in Market Place section, pages 34 through 36.

Free ‘Flea Market’ App for Sailors A year ago, Marcel Honstrass left his job as an Accenture IT-consultant, sold his flat in Germany, bought a Woods catamaran, picked up his girlfriend, and started sailing from Greece to the Caribbean.

“When I started to live on a boat last year,” says Marcel, “my life became very different from the landlubber’s one before.

—Continued on next page

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the location is close to a diesel fuel dock that can accommodate the needs of large vessels. The new pier will also be only 20 yards away from a very popular full service bar and restaurant.

Bocas Yacht Services continues to improve its customer experience with brand new slings for the travel-lift. This 60-ton lift just finished its annual maintenance protocol, and the full-service yard is operating at just under peak capacity. This makes it active but not frantic. Do-it-yourself sailors are welcome and there are also a few long-term storage spots available.

So bring your boat to the hurricane-free Southwestern Caribbean. Besides these great facilities, there is an amazing archipelago to explore here with no crowding whatsoever.

For more information on Bocas Marina see ad on page 29.

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

Dual-Biocides

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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—Continued from previous page “This is especially true when you are constantly on the move. Most liveaboards don’t have a permanent address, and ordering something from the mainland takes a long time. At the same time, items that are no longer really needed accumulate on the boat. Within the last year I saw only one ‘sailing-garage sell market’, where sailors exchanged goods. In marinas, people place printed paper with offers of their dinghy, sail, life raft and so on, on a bulletin board. Others use online forums, etcetera. Here and there it works, but I wondered where I could find a simpler, better solution — • that uses my smartphone, • that knows when I sail to the next anchorage and helps me to relocate my offers or my wants, * that is not tied to a country or address, • where I can place my offer in one language, and someone can find my offer searching in another language, without any extra effort for either party, • and that works with limited or no internet access.

“I couldn’t find any existing tool that could do all of this, so I had to craft a new app called Mindelo Moving Market. This is a free app — it’s like a moving flea market specifically for sailors. If you sail to a new place, your offer can easily move with you. Also you can see what sailors around you are selling. It’s amazing that we just don’t know, but maybe your neighbor in the anchorage just wants to sell exactly what you are looking for.”

Feedback and ideas for improvement are welcome at MindeloMovingMarket@gmail.com.

The app is available for free download in App Store (Apple) and the Play Market (Android): search for “Mindelo Moving Market”.

Two Join Clarke & Carter Caribbean Clarke and Carter Caribbean, an affiliate of Clarke and Carter Interyacht UK — one of the oldest and most respected international yacht brokerages in the marine industry — warmly welcomes two new members to the team: Rosie Burr and Leslie Alexander.

Rosie will be taking over as manager for the Grenada-based brokerage. She has 15 years of yachting experience, from sailing on tall ships to freelance marine writing to yacht deliveries.

Originally from London, Rosie spent nearly a decade working for an independent property management company. Since then, Rosie and her husband, Sim Hoggarth, have sailed extensive- Left to right: Leslie Alexander, Rosie Burr ly around the east and west and John Whitsett Caribbean and North America for the past 14 years, choosing the beautiful island of Grenada to finally settle.

Grenadian-born Leslie Alexander will be joining the sales team, bringing with him a vast local knowledge of the island and a keen sales pitch.

They will both be great assets to the team conveying Clarke and Carter‘s tradition for excellence by offering friendly, professional and local knowledge.

John Whitsett, founder of Clarke and Carter Caribbean, will be taking a step back from the day-to-day running of the company but will continue on as director.

For more information about Clarke and Carter Caribbean visit www.clarkeandcartercaribbean.com.

Unique Ship Visitor to Port of Spain Gerard Bengochea reports: On August 17th the Port of Spain, Trinidad shipyard Maritime Preservation Limited received the M/V Brigitte Bardot, owned by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, the US-based non-profit marine conservation organization.

Sea Shepherd uses direct action tactics and information campaigns to protect marine life and inform the public of their plight.

Michael Burke, Executive Chairman of Maritime Preservation Limited, says, “Owing to the unique 115-foot stabilized monohull shape of the M/V Brigitte Bardot, our dry docking team, using underwater divers, had to be extra careful to make sure the vessel was properly secured and supported before we hauled the fiberglass hull out of the water.”

The Port of Spain shipyard has great historical significance, having been designed and built in 1939 by the British engineering firm Head, Wrightson & Co. Ltd, which was founded in 1865. Earlier this year the railway and cradle were totally refurbished to original specifications to ensure the 79-year-old dry dock meets stringent safety standards.

On August 9th, the M/V Brigitte Bardot became the third in history to obtain registry as a Private Marine Conservation Yacht by the Dominica Maritime Registry (the other two being Sea Shepherd’s M/V John Paul DeJoria and M/V Sharpie).

Visit www.trinidadshipyard.com for more information about Maritime Preservation Limited.

Y2A BY ELLEN BIRRELL

Moving into the Marine World:

A YOUNG VINCENTIAN’S STORY

St. Kitts Marine Works S BOAT YARD - Haul & Storage

LOCATED AT NEW GUINEA, ST. KITTS Long 62º 50.1’ W Lat 17º 20.3’ N LO

“QUALITY SERVICE AT A GREAT PRICE”

Youth to Adult, “Y2A”, is a series of articles demonstrating the value of Learn to Sail programs for Caribbean children.

Tie down available ($3/ft), backhoe available ($100/hr) to dig hole to put keel down in etc. Pressure wash, Mechanics ($45/hr), Electricians ($45/hr), Welding and Carpenters available. Our 164 ton Travel Lift has ability to lift boats up to 35 ft wide and 120 feet long.

We allow you to do your own work on your boat. No extra charge for Catamarans.

Payments – Cash (EC or US$) Visa, Mastercard, Discover & travellers checks (must sign in front of us with ID) 24 hr manned Security, completely fenced property with CCTV. Water and electricity available. FREE high speed Wifi.

www.skmw.net E-mail: Bentels@hotmail.com Cell: 1 (869) 662 8930 REGULAR HOURS FOR HAUL: Monday to Thurs 8am to 3pm, Fridays 8am to Noon

Agents for:

CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 9

Ellen Birrell cruises the Caribbean aboard S/V Boldly Go with partner Jim Hutchins.

She believes that the financial freedom for her current lifestyle came from learning opportunities she had in youth including sailing. She serves as chair of the Caribbean Sailing Association’s sailing development committee.

Special - 5% discount for full payment. Haul and Launch $ 11 / ft.

Storage $ 8 / ft / month. Beat the Hurricane season rush. Have access to your vessel to be launched at any time and not get stuck behind other boats.

OCTOBER 2018

A gleam came to the face of a 20-something Vincentian as I walked through the door of St. Vincent Marine Center located (then) in St. Vincent Shipyard, Ottley Hall, St. Vincent.

“Welcome. How can I help you?”

Meeting and getting to know Shanique Oliver during a half-month long stint while our liveaboard sloop was “trapped” in St. Vincent Shipyard during the surge that ripped through the Eastern Caribbean in March (that is another story for another day), it became clear that featuring Shanique in “Y2A” would be ideal, related to our goal of lighting the imagination of West Indians to move into the marine world as a career focus, even if they didn’t have mentors guiding them in that direction.

Shanique Oliver is one of those brave and confident Caribbean youths I’ve had the privilege of getting to know. My interview with Shanique, one of the first employees for St. Vincent Marine Center, which originally opened in Ottley Hall and is now located in Arnos Vale, began just outside the office of store owner Hubert “Jeff” Winston. Learning that Shanique came through secondary school with an interest in psychology, I asked her to explain: “I like people. I wanted to better understand them. Why they act the way they do. What they are thinking . . .”

“For herself!” her boss interjected from his office, apparently only partially absorbed in his own work.

“Thinking for herself,” Winston opened the door and flashed his bright smile.

After a good laugh, we continued. Shanique said that after secondary school, she planned to enter a college of Arts & Science where she could study psychology but was told that she hadn’t taken a prerequisite course in secondary school necessary for entrance to the program.

Shanique on those formaShanique Oliver says, ‘I like people. I like to travel, tive years: “I have a friend to learn about people of other cultures’ who also had planned to go into a college field, it was biology, but she was told that she was lacking a prerequisite course in chemistry.”

With no college or career counseling at the secondary school, the two young women had resorted to their second-choice career studies. For her friend, it was Information Technology. For Shanique, it was Travel & Tourism.

Why Travel & Tourism? “I like people. I like to travel, to learn about people of other cultures.”

While she’d tried her hand briefly with another company, “When I saw the advert for this position in Ottley Hall, because I live just over the hill in Edinboro, the location here is ideal.”

Her enthusiasm and résumé including math and accounting fit the bill for the new marine center. She was hired immediately. She uses her skills interacting with customers and is responsible for inventory, sales, record keeping and accounting.

Shanique holds down the fort, so to speak, as owner Winston travels between his business ventures up and down the Windward Islands.

St. Vincent Marine Center owner Hubert Winston says, “She started with the company back in January of 2017 as an office assistant and assistant manager. Over the months, she has learnt the products and caught on to the marine equipment and terminology. Ms. Oliver can describe parts to customers and make recommendations for what she thinks are best suited to the application. Now as the office manager, she has been growing with the company and shows the desire to even order the needed supplies for her store. She came a long way from not knowing what a marine engine looks like to directing technicians as to what to expect when repairing equipment.”

Shanique’s leisure time has included dance and ballet. She had an opportunity to learn to swim but ‘“as a child, my older brothers didn’t like little sister around when they were swimming. When water went in my ears, it hurt. I didn’t like it.”

She says of her future, that she’d like to “learn to swim, have my own business within travel and tourism and event planning. It could even be a side thing.”

Though Shanique didn’t have the opportunity for boating in her formative years, she likes the marine-business, travel and tourism direction her career is taking.

Caribbean ECO-News

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 10

JAMES HENDEE

Look Out for Coral Data-Collection Buoys!

Large yellow data-collection buoys have been installed at key coral reef areas in the Caribbean as part of the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS), a collaborative project between the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Buoys have been placed on reefs in Belize, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia and Tobago, among other locations. The data for these stations can be seen at www.coral.noaa. gov/champportal.

The green icons in the Eastern Caribbean represent the stations recently installed.

CREWS stations in St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada were scheduled to be completed as this issue of Compass goes to press.

Candidate sites in St. Vincent & the Grenadines are just to leeward of the islands of Petit Bateau and Jamesby in the Tobago Cays.

Look out for the big yellow buoys! Please do not attempt to stand on them, tie anything to them or otherwise interfere with them — the data they are collecting will help researchers learn more about our reefs.

A Year of Hurricane Relief for Caribbean Birds The one-year anniversary of the devastating hurricanes of September 2017 has just passed.

People united to help each other recover and rebuild. They also found time to aid birds and the wild spaces they depend on.

BirdsCaribbean — a non-profit that works throughout the region — sprang into action after the storms. The Caribbean is home to hundreds of birds found nowhere else in the world. Many live on just one island, and many are threatened. Storms like Irma and Maria are very dangerous to species already living on the edge.

Strong winds tore flowers, fruits and seeds from trees, leaving no food for many birds. BirdsCaribbean organized supplies to help feed them on 18 islands. More than

4,000 bird feeders and five tons of birdseed were distributed on these islands so people could help birds in their communities. For many people, a backyard bird feeder was both a chance to help and a spot of joy during a difficult time.

BirdsCaribbean also started a fundraising campaign that has raised over US$125,000 from over 500 donors in the past year. This Hurricane Relief Fund supports many post-hurricane activities to help birds. Researchers have been sent to check for rare birds on hard-hit islands such as Barbuda. Equipment was sent to help teams working with Dominica’s two native parrot species.

Many projects are ongoing. Groups on many islands are working to restore natural habitat for the benefit of birds, other wildlife and people. Healthy forests and coasts reduce the damage caused by hurricanes. On St. Martin, a group has started a native plants nursery to provide trees for bird-friendly backyards. On many islands, researchers are studying how these storms impacted birds and nature.

BirdsCaribbean recently announced the launch of the Betty Petersen Conservation Fund to advance the conservation of birds and habitats in the Caribbean region.

With US$127,000 already raised towards the first-year goal of $150,000, the Fund will provide competitive grants to groups or individuals who are engaging and empowering their communities to protect and sustainably benefit from their birds.

BirdsCaribbean is now accepting applications via their website at www.birdscaribbean.org/the-betty-petersen-fund-for-conservation.

A year of hard work has made a big difference for the birds of the region. Like every aspect of the recovery, that work continues. BirdsCaribbean’s Hurricane Relief Fund is still accepting donations and still funding projects.

For more information visit www.birdscaribbean.org.

Rediscover St. Martin at Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House People of all ages are invited to enjoy and explore Amuseum Naturalis at The Old House this fall, located on the hill above Le Galion in St. Martin. The Amuseum will be open from 9:00AM to noon, Tuesday to Saturday. Amuseum Naturalis is a free museum of local nature, history and culture, developed by the Les Fruits de Mer association with an all-volunteer team.

—Continued on next page

Above: Amuseum Naturalis is St. Martin’s free museum of nature, history and culture Left: BirdsCaribbean provided supplies and aid to 18 islands over the past year

—Continued from previous page While the process of restoring The Old House continues, the Amuseum has opened its gardens and an exhibit hall featuring eight exhibits. In the backyard, visitors can enjoy amazing views and learn about native trees and plants. A bush tea and bush

ability to gain insight into the factors that have allowed corals to thrive under such unusual conditions.

The Save Varadero campaign (https://salvemosvaradero.org) is trying to have the reef designated as a national park.

Read the BBC story at www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45129579, and see more at https://phys.org/news/2018-06-newly-reef-important-lessons-resilience.html Sargassum Watch

Students visit the hall in The Old House featuring eight exhibits

CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 11

‘Miracle Reef’ in Cartagena Threatened by Development As reported by Lucy Sherriff in an August 20th BBC report, the Varadero Reef, located just off Cartagena, Colombia, could offer clues for the survival of other reefs in contaminated areas. According to the report, Cartagena Bay “is contaminated by industrial and sewage waste. According to marine biologists the reef should not be alive, and yet it has flourished, providing a home to a large number of coral, fish and urchin species”.

Despite the close proximity of the reef to Cartagena’s one million-odd inhabitants, the Varadero Reef, located at 10°18’10”N, 75°34’55”W, remained largely unknown to science until 2013, owing to the perception that the environment was too hostile for any reef to survive. Although Varadero Reef has long been known to local inhabitants who fish there, it was only in 2013 that Varadero was “discovered” by biologists looking for an example of a degraded reef. They found instead “a veritable coral garden, with over 30 species covering up to 80 percent of its surface”. Ninety percent of other reefs in the area are dead. Varadero has been called the Miracle Reef.

However, there are now plans to expand the shipping channel at Bocachica and dredge another passageway straight through the reef, meaning a quarter of it would be destroyed and the remainder threatened. These plans could hinder researchers’

Conference to Address Tourism’s Impact on Marine Environment The 71st annual conference of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute will be held in San Andrés, Colombia from November 5th through 9th.

The theme of the Conference is “Tourism in the Caribbean: challenges for the management of fisheries and coral reef ecosystems of the region”.

While tourism provides considerable economic benefits for many countries, regions and communities, its rapid expansion can also be responsible for adverse environmental, as well as socio-cultural, impacts. Two areas of the environmental impact of tourism are pressure on natural resources and damage to ecosystems. Furthermore, it is now widely recognized not only that uncontrolled tourism expansion is likely to lead to environmental degradation, but also that environmental degradation, in turn, poses a serious threat to tourism activities.

San Andrés is a coral island in the Caribbean Sea. Historically tied to the United Kingdom, and politically part of Colombia, San Andrés and the nearby islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina form the department of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. The archipelago is approximately 750 kilometres (470 miles) north of the Colombian mainland. This archipelago, including the outer cays, reefs, atolls and sand banks, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. This “Seaflower Biosphere Reserve” not only includes the islands but also about ten percent of the Caribbean Sea. The meeting, hosted by the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, will focus on applying marine science to solve problems by bringing multiple users of ocean resources together to make informed and coordinated decisions for sustainable use of these resources. Addressing the issues of connectivity, fisheries management, conservation, and related issues at GCFI will aid in addressing critical marine resource issues within the Wider Caribbean Region.

Visit www.gcfi.org/gcfi_71-conference for more information.

OCTOBER 2018

medicine garden is growing, with many plants donated by St. Martiners who want to share this tradition.

The Amuseum’s “micro-theater” shows a reel of over a dozen documentary shorts about nature, history and culture. Many of the films feature fascinating interviews with St. Martiners. Les Fruits de Mer members and volunteers have been interviewing St. Martin residents to share the stories of the island as told by its people. The association’s goal is to collaborate with the community so the Amuseum can be a true reflection of the island.

Visit http://amuseumnaturalis.com for more information.

Yes, the sargassum is still coming. You can track its flow and possible arrival at Caribbean locations at: https://optics.marine.usf.edu/projects/saws.html#2018.mean.400.png

Antigua Sailing Week, with the winner being announced and the trophy being awarded at the Antigua Sailing Week final awards presentation.

The competition is open to all yachts: local, regional, and visitors alike, racers and racer-cruisers. Visitors entering the competition will be expected to remain in the Caribbean Region for the bulk of the racing season (between November and April).

Visit https://caribbean-sailing.com/caribbean-race-calendar/csa-travellers-trophy for details on scoring and information on signing up to compete for the Traveller’s Trophy.

REGATTA NEWS Try for the Caribbean Regattas Traveller’s Trophy!

For more than 20 years, the Caribbean Sailing Association’s Traveller’s Trophy has been awarded for a combination of “effort and excellence� among yachts competing in a range of Caribbean yacht racing events.

St. Barth Season Opener: the Cata-Cup The 11th edition of the St. Barth Cata-Cup takes place on November 14th through 18th. At press time, no fewer than 55 crews representing 14 nations have confirmed their registration for this event for Formula 18 catamarans.

PIERRICK CONTIN/SAINT-BARTH CATA-CUP

WWW.SAILINGWEEK.COM

ON THE HORIZON

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 12

Touch2Play was the Traveller’s Trophy winner in 2018 Effort — travelling to far-flung regattas — is assessed by rating the number of qualifying events across the region that a boat races in one season. The region is divided into three sub-regions and weighted scores are applied for “home� and “away� regattas. An additional factor is added if a boat completes races in all three regions.

Excellence — doing well — is assessed by points assigned based on first to eighth place in events, and weighted based on number of boats in each event.

The regions include islands as follows: South – Grenada, Bequia (St. Vincent), Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, and Trinidad.

Central – Guadeloupe, Antigua, St. Barth’s, and St. Maarten.

North – St. Croix, St. Thomas, the BVI, and Puerto Rico.

If not already specified, each island will designate one primary event as their scoring regatta. All yachts will be required to declare which island they consider their home island.

To qualify, a boat must do a minimum of three regattas; at least one must be in an “away� region and at least one a major event. A boat’s intention to do this should be declared with his initial entry at his first regatta by filling in the form available online. A boat may do as many regattas on the Tour as desired.

The major events include St. Maarten Heineken Regatta (March), BVI Spring Regatta (March), Les Voiles de Saint Barth (April), and Antigua Sailing Week (May).

All other qualifying events will be considered the Tour events, including St. Lucia Mango Bowl Regatta (November), Barbados Sailing Week (January), Grenada Sailing Week (January), The Round Martinique Regatta (February), St. Thomas International Regatta (March), St. Croix International Regatta (March) and Bequia Easter Regatta (April).

Boats will accumulate points over the season and by season’s end an overall winner — “Caribbean Best Boat� — will emerge. Final totals are assessed each year at

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The St. Barth Cata-Cup is a high-calibre sporting event where catamaran enthusiasts of various nationalities, from world champions to locals, come together. After editions in 1992, 1993 and 1994, the event was relaunched in 2008 by Vincent Jordil, Jeff Ledee and Thierry Linares. A year after Hurricane Irma, the St. Barth Cata-Cup will be one of the first events to open the winter tourist season in St Barth.

Visit www.stbarthcatacup.com for more information.

Caribbean Multihull Challenge – St. Maarten Sint Maarten Yacht Club reports: One of the first multihulls seen in St. Maarten, Tryst, is the first boat to enter the Caribbean Multihull Challenge – St. Maarten. This iconic boat represents the core message of what the organizers of the event wish to communicate: multihulls are here to stay. They are always developing, they provide incredible user satisfaction, and they will continue to surprise!

After distributing the Notice of Race and opening the entry system, organizers have already welcomed six entries and are looking forward to seeing many more multihulls register for the event taking place February 8th through 10th, 2019.

Tryst, built in 1968, was salvaged after Hurricane Gonzalo in 2014 and was rebuilt by Arthur Banting and Bernard Stoutenbeek, who became the new owners and enjoyed sailing her on weekends. Stoutenbeek took on the task of fixing Tryst after Hurricane Irma, and barely got her ready in time for the 38th St Maarten Heineken Regatta. She raced crewed by several youth sailors and won the Best Youth Sailing Team trophy, but most importantly, she raced again after all these years! —Continued on next page

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—Continued from previous page “I am really amped and excited to see the Sint Maarten Yacht Club getting another regatta going, and especially a true multihull challenge! This will really add to the St. Maarten/Caribbean sailing scene package and hopefully bring some of the old multihulls that once raced these waters back to St. Maarten, like the old Spronk and Dick Newick designs! I secretly hope we find ourselves in a Multihull Classic class but regardless of details I am sure we are going to have another great event to add onto the season’s racing calendar and can’t wait to participate with the old girl!”

Stoutenbeek says.

Thanks to agreements reached between organizers of the Caribbean Multihull Challenge, measurer Stuart Knaggs, and Bobby’s Marina owner, Bobby Velasquez, competitors will not have to pay fees for measuring and weighing, a bonus that will add extra appeal for the much-anticipated event.

Stuart Knaggs indicated he will be using the updated International Multihull Rating Rule he was part of developing in 2013. He already has some 40 measured boats on

and marketing of the regatta, says, “We’ve captured the attention of Cruising World and Sailing magazines. They are giving us US$25,000 worth of advertising to promote the regatta. People want to be part of it.”

Visit www.smyc.com/caribbean-multihull-challenge for more information, Notice of Race, and to register.

St. Lucia Mango Bowl Regatta Next Month Lily Bergasse reports: The St. Lucia Mango Bowl Regatta will take place on the weekend of November 30th through December 2nd, with competition in four classes: Racing, Cruising I and II, and J/24 & Surprise.

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PAGE 13

Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 2019 Rosie Hoggarth reports: Island Water World Grenada Sailing Week 2019 runs from January 27th through February 1st. It launches the Caribbean regatta season with the cool trades of the winter months in the beautiful warm waters of Grenada.

Open to everyone, it is four days of fun and competitive racing, six nights of riotous parties and one lay day held between two fabulous host venues: Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in St. George’s and Secret Harbour Marina and Boutique Hotel in Mount Hartman Bay. Come lime with friends old and new, and join a regatta that retains all of its warm West Indian charm. With a mixture of windward and leeward courses, Grenada offers different challenges for each coast. Warm up on the west coast, just off the beautiful Grand Anse beach, where the shifting winds call for tactical racing. Then, the windier south coast demands something more challenging against the backdrop of green rugged hills. From hotshot racers to gentlemen sailors and all those in between, there is something for everyone. Classes include Racer, Racer/Cruiser 1, Racer/Cruiser 2, Classics and J/24s.

—Continued on next page

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

The Mango Bowl Regatta is now certified as a Silver Level Clean Regatta. See all of the requirements needed and explanation at www.sailorsforthesea.org For more information on the Mango Bowl Regatta 2018 contact mangobowlslyc@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2018

his data base and it will just be a matter of weighing and measuring any new boats and adding them to the list. The rating given can be used at other regattas.

“Weighing is an expensive exercise,” noted Petro Jonker, Chairman of the regatta’s steering committee. “You’ve got to book a measurer, book a travel lift. Then we asked what if we can do it as part of the regatta, as we’ve got the facilities and the yards here. We approached Bobby and he very kindly agreed to provide a lift free of charge for the two days on the weekend before the regatta.

“Then we asked Stuart to see what he could do to provide ratings at low cost because at the end of the day you want entries and not sailors paying huge sums just to get here. So, thanks to Stuart and Bobby, this has all come together and we’re very excited.”

Organizer Robbie Ferron described it as a “breakthrough” regatta. “Multihulls have become very much mainstream and we are seeing this incredible growth with new technology coming in,” he said. “Yet somehow multihulls never fitted in before with other regattas except at the Heineken Regatta.

“It was always a different mindset but now we can match everything to that mindset. With other boats you can measure weight equivalents fairly well but it’s not possible with multihulls. But if you weigh them you can get very accurate results.

Introducing this free weighing brings it all together.”

Organizers have a generous lead-in time to prepare for the big event and are keen to maintain the momentum. Stephen Burzon, who is in charge of promotion

—Continued from previous page Island Water World are title sponsor once again, supporting the event for the sixth year in a row. The Grenada Tourism Authority, Sea Hawk Paints, Secret Harbour Marina and Mount Gay Rum are all on board again as Race Day Sponsors, promising to help make this a fantastic event with lots of fun and plenty of prizes to be won and given away.

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 14

Antigua Sailing Week 2019 Alison Sly-Adams reports: Warm up for the five challenging days of Antigua Sailing Week 2019 by also participating in the Peters & May Round Antigua Race on April 27th. Both events are guaranteed to be exhilarating for participants, who range from fully professional campaigners to crews of friends and family. Classes include CSA Racing, CSA Non-Spinnaker, Multihull, Bareboat and Club Classes and — new for 2019 — CSA Double Handed. Race manager Lorna Saunders says, “This will add an exciting new dimension to ASW. Safety being paramount, the double handed class will have its own start and courses will be carefully planned to accommodate double handed participants. The courses will be a mix of round the cans, with slight-

PAUL WYETH/PWPICTURES.COM

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Online registration: http://grenadasailingweek.com/registration/ For NoR, visit www.grenadasailingweek.com and sign up for our newsletter. E-mail: info@grenadasailingweek.com. Facebook: GrenadaSailingWeek.

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ly longer legs and some days a coastal race. We look forward to thrilling, competitive sailing.”

2019 will also see the fifth edition of the Royal Southern Yacht Club Inter-Yacht Club Challenge. The challenge is open to all yacht clubs around the world and entries are encouraged from boats where a minimum of 50 percent of the participants belong to the same club. The Shield Trophy is awarded to the best performing boat, using a weighted scoring system, at the Final Awards Party.

A new Newport Shipyard Rules Seminar will begin the week, taking place on April 26th from 3:00PM to 5:00PM on the lawn at Antigua Yacht Club. The Rules Seminar is designed to clarify the Racing Rules of Sailing, in an easy-to-understand fashion.

Chief judge David Pelling will use race course scenarios to demonstrate how the rules should be interpreted. There will be time for questions and answers following the seminar.

For the party boats, 2019 will see the tenth edition of Reggae in the Park, which takes place on April 30th. The mixture of the backdrop of historic English Harbour, an international audience and the best in reggae makes for a fantastic night which is followed by the Lay Day Beach Party at Pigeon Point — a day with as much or as little activity as you wish. Chasers, who can go out daily to watch the racers, also have five days of chasing to choose from, or an option to join Lay Day in a ringside seat on board a fun catamaran tour.

Two final days of racing are then capped off by a phenomenal Final Awards Party where the legendary ASW silverware is handed out by the Governor General.

Visit www.sailingweek.com for a full schedule and to enter.

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CARRIACOU REGATTA FESTIVAL 2018 NADINE CERNY (2)

Off-Season Playtime for Yachts

by Jerry Stewart

The classic Vendia made a picturesque committee boat on the start line

Winners, Yacht Division, Carriacou 2018 Multihull Class 1) Exile, Niven Robertson, Fraserburgh, UK 2) Tortilla Flat, PDQ, Dougald Knox, Carriacou Fun Class 1) Fantasy Forest, St. Barths 2) Yellowbird, Spencer 44, Andy Smelt, Carriacou 3) Stargazer, Granada 38, Susie Stanhope, UK CSA Class 1) Free Spirit, Luders 27, Roy Hopper, Carriacou 2) Chao Lay, Beneteau 461, Alex Johnstone, Grenada 3) Tulaichean II, Beneteau First 37s5, Mike Bingley, Grenada

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PAGE 15

dŚĞ ĐĂƌĞĨƵů ĂƩĞŶƟŽŶ ŐŝǀĞŶ ƚŽ ŽƵƌ ĐůŝĞŶƚƐ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞŝƌ ďŽĂƚƐ ŝƐ ĮůůŝŶŐ ŽƵƌ ďŽĂƚLJĂƌĚ ƚŽ ĐĂƉĂĐŝƚLJ ĂŶĚ ǁĞ ůŽŽŬ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ƚŽ ŽīĞƌŝŶŐ LJŽƵ ƚŚĞ ƐĂŵĞ ƐĂĨĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ͘

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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Another classic — the 1899vintage Galatea — also came to play

OCTOBER 2018

Despite the unstable weather we often experience in August, this year’s Carriacou Regatta Festival yacht races, held August 3rd through 6th, offered good breezes and settled conditions — even the rain showers were without spite.

Judd Tinius, with his 65-foot 1899-vintage yawl, Galatea, joined us again this year from Grenada, enduring an exceedingly strong westerly set on the way, as did Mike Bingley’s Tulaichean II, a Grenada-based Beneteau First 37s5 sporting new high-tech sails for our competitive CSA Class races. Alex Johnstone and his Beneteau 461, Chao Lay, also joined us from Grenada with Sailing School crew.

Tabasco, a newly refurbished Swan 40 sailed by Bjorn Laugland, came to sail against her arch-rival, my Hughes 38, Bloody Mary. Roy Hopper sailed Free Spirit, a Luders 27 from 1955.

Of note in Fun Class were old favorites Samadhi, a 54-foot Sciarelli schooner sailed

by Frank Pearce; Susie Stanhope’s Granada 38, Stargazer; and Andy Smelt’s Yellowbird, a Spencer 44.

All told, 16 yachts entered the Friday’s Doyle Sails-sponsored Two-Handed Round Carriacou Race, racing in three classes: CSA Measured, Fun, and Multihull.

Day Two’s South Coast Race — from Hillsborough to Jack-A-Dan to the Sisters Rocks, to Frigate Island and back to the Sisters, to finish In Tyrrel Bay — was sponsored by Island Water World.

Day Three’s Hillsborough Race, with a windward-leeward course off Hillsborough and then onward to a finish line in Tyrell Bay, was sponsored by Budget Marine.

Our yacht race series during the annual Carriacou Regatta Festival is an offseason playtime for cruisers and locally based yachts, with short, interesting courses. Race Officer James Benoit comes from the Grenada Yacht Club. The mark boat driver was Gus, and this year we had the best committee boat ever — the 1943vintage, 70-foot gaff-rigged ketch Vendia, which goes to windward like LIAT. The Regatta is funded by sponsors large and small — a community effort. Thanks this year go to Doyle Offshore Sails, Island Water World, Budget Marine, Mount Gay Rum, West Indies Beer, Carriacou Marine, the Slipway Restaurant, the Lazy Turtle restaurant, NorthSouth Trading and Technical Marine Management.

CARRIACOU REGATTA FESTIVAL 2018

Open Boats on Island Time!

by Elaine Ollivierre We hadn’t visited Carriacou for six years so were looking forward to meeting old friends. Our own boat was on the hard, waiting for a new engine, so on the Thursday before Regatta weekend, my husband, Orbin, and I cadged a ride with a friend who had the use of a yacht. Andy brought two double-enders from Bequia Youth Sailors.

The 17-foot Y Knot was towed down while the 28-footer White Caps was sailed down by a team whose average age must have been about 14. They beat the yacht to Carriacou by a mile.

GUINELL OLLIVIERRE-HAZELL (ALL)

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 16

Above: In Class 4, Carriacou’s Ace+ sailed to second place overall Left, Galaxy came from Canouan to race in Class 3

The teen sailors were out early on the Friday morning, practising tactics, while sailors from the other islands began to arrive. Allick from the Bequia Traditional Sailing Academy also came down on a yacht, towing two small double-enders, and letting a larger one sail.

To be honest, participation was only a fraction of what it used to be. Despite the best efforts of some Carriacou committee members to persuade boats to participate,

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only 13 took part: the five from Bequia, three from Canouan, three from Mayreau, one from Tobago (which stays in Carriacou year-round) and one actually from Carriacou. No boats from Petite Martinique or Grenada this year — such a shame!

In years gone by, it was always a joke that the races never started on time. That hadn’t changed. At start time for the Saturday open boat race, the Tobago boat, Elusive, was still on the beach undergoing some last minute tweaks to rig and equipment. Some of Elusive’s crew were a little the worse for wear, too. Having sailed from Tobago by pirogue the night before, they were now partaking of some liquid refreshment before the race. Luckily, it didn’t seem to affect their sailing ability as they still managed a first place!

—Continued on next page

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—Continued from previous page There have always been two races for the open boats on the Sunday, unless bad weather intervened. But the weather was beautiful and there should have been a timely start. But, as usual, the start was late, partly because the race charts were not ready and were being drawn as we waited, and partly because the sailors expected a late start so didn’t turn up until nearly lunchtime. So a decision was made to

went on into the night. I’m only sorry that there were no trophies on offer to the winning boats. Cash prizes are much appreciated, but trophies look good on your livingroom shelf! Time to get ready for home, though, so the teenage crews weren’t allowed to stay out past bedtime!

Tuesday saw us returning to Bequia. Just as we went down, so we came back: White Caps sailed while Y Knot was towed. That is one slow yacht and one long ride — it took about seven hours to get home. But when we arrived in Port Elizabeth, we found one reason why the journey had been longer than expected. The towline was coated with pounds of sargassum weed, which was surely holding us back. No wonder we took so long!

Thanks to Leo and family and to Busta for their great hospitality in Carriacou. And thanks to Andy for the ride!

Winners, Double-Ender Division, Carriacou 2018 Class 1 1) 2) 3) 4) Class 2 1) 2) 3) Class 3 1) 2)

Y Knot, Orion Ollivierre, Bequia Ark Royal, Reon Ollivierre, Bequia Lightning (of Mayreau), Sheldon Morgan, Bequia Camille, Jojo Adams, Bequia Galaxy, Elmore Snagg, Canouan

The proud crew of Bequia’s Camille, winner of Class 3

Eclipse, Allick Daniel/Javed Morgan, Bequia Ace+, Hope Deroche, Carriacou White Caps, Drew Mitchell, Bequia Elusive, Keith Anderson, Tobago

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

Class 4 1) 2) Class 5 1) 2)

OCTOBER 2018

have lunch first and fit the two races into the afternoon. In the first race, the young crew of White Caps came over the finish line first but a huge argument ensued as the other boats came in. There are no judges watching the races so, when there was an incident at one of the marks, every sailor had his own tale to tell about who was to blame and who should be disqualified. Never mind; they calmed down enough to begin the second race.

During the second race, the wind dropped. While we watched all participants struggle to complete even one lap down to a mark off Cistern Point and back, the wind dropped even more. A decision was taken to finish after one lap, so Andy went out in his speedboat and informed all the skippers. Some of the boat crews were not happy, wanting a chance to catch up on the second lap. But when it was later explained that the course was going to take too long and we had visions of being on the beach until dark as the boats finished, everyone accepted the results. White Caps managed some remarkable sailing to finish first.

Monday came round, one race left. Air temperature was boiling hot. Ace+ broke down and her only competition, Eclipse, decided then to finish after one lap. “It’s torture out there,” said captain Allick. Once again, White Caps came first in the 28-foot class. The small double-enders had also finished their courses with only one major mishap: Lightning capsized in the second race.

Carriacou has a reputation for offering plenty of shore-based activities on Monday afternoon: the donkey race, greasy pole, weight-lifting competition and much more provided entertainment for the crowd gathered outside the Jupa bar. Prizegiving

Bad Feelings, Samuel Forde, Mayreau D Shark, Hudson Williams, Canouan God’s Angel, Adolphus Forde, Mayreau Ringo, Cuthbert Williams, Canouan

PAGE 17

CARRIACOU REGATTA FESTIVAL 2018

The Real Regatta: Rules? What Rules?

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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by S. Brian Samuel The Grenadine islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinique and Bequia boast a long tradition of building strong, fast and beautiful wooden sailboats, originally used for carrying cargo and contraband among the islands of the Eastern Caribbean. These islands’ skilled boat builders are descended from Scottish shipwrights who settled centuries ago and whose presence is still strongly felt: Carriacou has lots of McQuilkins, MacDonalds and McClouds — and almost everyone is “red”! * Because of the various uses to which these wooden sailboats were originally put, including occasionally having to outrun inquisitive eyes, they needed to be fast. They also needed to take advantage of their natural surroundings, in particular the tradewinds and the shallow anchorages in which they operated. So the classic Grenadine Island sloop has no deep keel and is a “reaching machine”, with an overlong boom and huge mainsail, ideal for traveling up and down the island chain.

The first Carriacou Regatta was held in 1965, started by expat boat builder J. Linton Rigg as a way of keeping the island’s boatbuilding tradition alive, and it has been held (more or less) in each August of the 53 years since. In fact it is the longest-running regatta in the Caribbean, Antigua Sailing Week being a mere pickney at 51 years. Carriacou doesn’t operate under normal regatta rules — in fact it operates under very few rules at all. Things like start and finish lines are highly flexible, and as for printed race instructions — don’t be silly. On the water there’s one Golden Rule: “Outta de way, ah commin’ troo!”

The first time I did the Carriacou Regatta was in 1992, out of Barbados with my brother Gerry on my engineless 26-foot sloop Jump-Up, and I’d done it a few times since then, on chartered boats with my sailing buddy Leon Taylor. But what I hadn’t realized was that there are actually three Carriacou Regattas, held simultaneously. Centred in the town of Windward on the eastern shore is the decked sloops’ regatta, the open boats are

‘I’d actually watched Savvy being built, during a contemplative week I’d spent on Petite Martinique in 2007’

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raced off Hillsborough, while in Tyrell Bay there’s “the white people regatta”! ** Usually the three divisions don’t mingle, although I do remember sailing in a mixed yacht-workboat race once, where the wisest course of action in any tight situation was to give way, especially after I heard an onshore conversation: “Man, if you boat can’t tek a lick, doh fokkin’ race!”

Savvy — She’s a Big Girl I’d actually watched Savvy being built, during a contemplative week I’d spent on Petite Martinique in 2007. She was built by Baldwin Deroche, on the beach next to the jetty, and when I was there they were just finishing the framing. The boat was commissioned by British millionaire Peter de Savary, who was investing heavily in Port Louis Marina in Grenada. The 43-foot Savvy was launched in 2007 and weighs in at 12 tons: she’s a big girl.

She’s no slouch either; in a good breeze Savvy will cruise along at eight to ten knots, surfing down those long Caribbean rollers.

My good friend Danny Donelan currently owns her and he’s built up a successful business, Savvy Grenada Charters (www. sailingsavvy.com), running day and multiday charters around Grenada and the Grenadines. Danny also manages two other Grenadine sloops: Free in St. Barths and Zemi. All three boats are regular competitors in classic boat regattas and have sailed with distinction in Grenada, Carriacou, St. Barth’s, Bequia, the Antigua Classic Regatta and St. Lucia. So when Danny told me that of course he’d be racing Carriacou again this year, I made sure to book my berth: count me in!

It would be a six-day sail: Grenada to Carriacou on Thursday August 2nd, four days of racing then back down to Grenada on Tuesday. I flew in from Barbados the day before, and what a flight that was: it took five attempts and a return trip to Barbados to refuel before the determined LIAT pilot eventually landed at Maurice Bishop International Airport, in pouring rain with almost zero visibility.

—Continued on next page

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First Mate Sam, the author, and Captain Danny, ready to set sail from Grenada for Carriacou

Sisters rocks offshore Tyrell Bay and heading up the east coast. Then it got interesting. The name given to Carriacou by its original Carib inhabitants means “Island of Reefs”. It’s an apt description: the entire south and east coasts are ringed by an unending string of vicious rocks, where strong winds and swirling currents combine to suck you into harm’s way. The old hands warned us: stay faaar.

We did, but not far enough, and it took us a few extra tacks, to finally free ourselves from the deadly charms of Scylla and Charybdis. And then: the squall. All day, we’d been lucky to avoid a series of rain showers blowing in, but along the southeast coast one of them caught us — with a vengeance. For an hour we battled huge winds, flattened seas, stinging rain and zero visibility — great fun! In this race as in all the others, we were locked in our own mini-regatta, with Savvy’s bigsister ship, Beauty. Despite us giving away five feet in length and one extra sail to her big sister, Savvy

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Lunches and pizza night at the Iguana café

PAGE 19

Day One: the Warm Up Friday morning, after showers and a breakfast of champions at Carriacou Marine, we upped anchor and sailed for the harbour of Windward. As its name implies, Windward is on the windward side of Carriacou, with an onshore easterly wind that can be heavy at times. Not the kind of place you’d expect to find a port, but it’s well protected by a long offshore reef. Windward is the home of boat building in Carriacou, and all its inhabitants are sea people and mad keen sailors. Getting into Windward can be tricky, but fortunately there are two high and dry shipwrecks to show you where not to go.

Friday afternoon was the first race of the Regatta; a warm-up cruise for the more serious racing to come. It was supposed to start at 2:00, but of course at that time there was no sign of activity. At around 4:00, eight boats were milling around between Windward and Petite Martinique, when we realized that the race had started, and gave chase. Danny called Wally, skipper on Zemi: “What’s the course? Around what island?

Where’s that? We’ll just follow you!”

And so we did, and a nice race was had by all. That evening we took the bus to Tyrell Bay, headquarters of

acquitted herself well, coming out with even honours overall. Hardly surprising, considering both boats were built by the same builder: Baldwin Deroche.

Apart from Beauty, our other battle was with Danny’s stablemate Zemi, captained by his friend Wally. It didn’t matter where we came in the results, just beat Wally! And when the storm cleared we saw that indeed, we had a comfortable lead over Zemi and a couple of other boats. All we had to do was sail up the outside of the reef on the east coast, do a left turn by the shipwreck and enter Windward, crossing some invisible finishing line in the process. Yes, got him!

Then we looked back. Wait a second, what’s Wally doing? We saw that Zemi had inexplicably made a turn left, heading straight for the reef. Where’s he going? Is he in distress? Then Danny twigged: “The bastard, he’s got a hole!” Sure enough, Zemi was headed to one very particular spot along the reef, and in the blink of an eye emerged on the leeward side of the reef, safe in calm waters. Whereas we still had to sail up and around the reef, Wally now had an easy leg to the finish line. Bastard!

After high-fives, boat clean-up and a refreshing swim we took the dinghy over to “the disco” for the post-race festivities, including a steaming bowl of fish waters for the hungry combatants. Spirits were high, beers cold and the banter flowed freely. Wally confirmed that there was a little-known gap in the reef but that it was very narrow, and you had to know exactly where you were headed: there was no room for error.

That night Sam cooked a wicked chicken browndown and macaroni on board, and three happy tired sailors turned in early for a well-earned sleep.

Day Three: We Took Our Licks The next day, Sunday, would see the nine sloops in the Regatta move to Hillsborough for the remaining races. The morning race was a long downwind leg from Windward to The Sisters rocks, then a short upwind sprint to the finish line. All boats were flying spinnakers and although we had one, we had no spinnaker pole, so after a while we gave up the ghost and took our licks. For the afternoon race we were joined by the “hippie kids”, Kaili and the other youngsters from Tyrell Bay. Unfortunately the wind died down to nothing and the race degenerated into a slow slog.

Day Four: Drama!

Monday saw the final race, and for us the most fun of the Regatta. It had all the ingredients: high winds, close competition and a bit of drama — in fact a lot of drama.

For a change, the start was well organized and we got off to a flyer. On the previous races I’d been the grinder, tightening the winch after each tack, but this time I was on the mainsheet, adjusting the tension on the traveller to get maximum power from the mainsail. After a short downwind leg we approached the first mark, with Savvy slightly ahead of three other boats. “All right, everybody,” barked Captain Danny. “We gotta stay ahead of them, let’s do a perfect tack guys. Ready… go!”

It couldn’t be less perfect. I scrambled across the deck and sat on the low toerail, ready to pull in the traveller. Big mistake. The boat lurched and I lost my balance, and in the blink of an eye I was over the side, hanging onto the traveller rope for dear life.

Man overboard!

I was able to keep hold of the rope with my right hand, dragging along the side of the hull at eight knots, which I found out was a helluva lot of current. Sam immediately jumped to my aid, grabbing my left hand as I held on grimly with my right.

Although I wasn’t in any immediate danger, there was no way I was going to let go as Savvy would’ve had to do a 360-degree turnaround to come and pick me up, effectively losing the race. And there was the not-so-small matter of the three boats immediately in our wake…

—Continued on next page

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

the white people regatta. More pizza and beers then we headed to the festivities in Hillsborough, accompanied by a posse of barefoot sailor kids from a couple of the Grenada yachts. Hillsborough was fairly quiet and by the time Danny, Sam and I took the bus back to Windward we’d been politely abandoned by Kaili, in favour of the younger crowd on the Grenada boats. No worries, said Danny, she’d paid in advance!

Day Two: The Big Race Saturday was the big race: around the island. I was really looking forward to this one: a big tick off the bucket list. The course was straightforward: leave Windward, race around the island anti-clockwise, finish at Windward. The first half was uneventful enough, a downwind leg to Hillsborough before rounding The

OCTOBER 2018

—Continued from previous page That whole day Grenada was lashed by heavy rains and had severe flooding, but fortunately by the next morning the low front had dissipated somewhat, and we set sail for Carriacou at 11:00AM. On board were Captain Danny and First Mate Sam, plus passenger Kaili Kappler, an adventurous Australian on a six-month expedition through Latin America and the Caribbean. We motor-sailed up to Tyrell Bay and were lucky to avoid most of the intermittent rain. After delicious pizza at the Lazy Turtle we bedded down for the night. Danny has a comfortable set-up and he, Kaili and I slept on deck under the bimini top, while Sam snoozed below decks. In six nights we only had one short sprinkling of rain.

—Continued from previous page Although I could hold on, the current was preventing me from hauling myself back on board. Danny let go of the tiller and he and Sam dragged me over the railing, coughing and spluttering — with my trunks around my ankles! There was no time for relief: we all retook our assigned places as if nothing had happened, completed the tack and even rounded the marker slightly ahead of the competition!

skipper of Zemi, who abandoned his race to go to the aid of New Moon, which got into difficulty near The Sisters rocks.” So that was it.

Prizegiving and Partying That evening was the prizegiving and end-of-Regatta street party in Hillsborough, so we scrubbed up (as much as possible) and headed to the jetty in the dinghy.

We got there just in time for the greasy pole competition — what fun! Suspended about 20 feet over the water,

Above: A pause for sunset at the end of a racing day

PAGE 20 CARIBBEAN COMPASS OCTOBER 2018

honourable mention — never did a consolation prize feel so much like an Olympic gold medal! I wisely decided to turn in for the night, while Danny and Sam were in higher “spirits” and stayed on at the afterparty street party — a decision they paid for the following morning while I was fresh as a daisy!

Thus ended the 2018 edition of the Carriacou Regatta.

How can it be summed up in one word? Well it can’t, so several will have to do: fun, fantastic, chaotic, unique,

Left: ‘By the time we rounded The Sisters we were locked in battle with Beauty’

Jeez, that was intense! I apologized for my blunder and thanked the guys for their swift action. High-fives, shout-outs and off we sailed.

As usual we were locked in our private battle with Beauty, but there was also Wally on Zemi and the slight matter of revenge. Because it was a short downwind leg, our lack of spinnaker wasn’t much of a hindrance, and by the time we rounded The Sisters we were locked in battle with Beauty, and Zemi was some distance aback.

As we were approaching Sandy Island we looked back and saw that Zemi had lowered her sails. More than that, she seemed to be drifting. Was there a problem?

We called Wally on the phone and VHS, no answer.

The race launch was nearby so we hailed them over and asked them to go back and check on Zemi. Then we carried on racing. And what a race it was, locked in a tight tacking duel with Beauty all the way to the finish line in Hillsborough, and they ended up crossing the line 20 seconds ahead of us — a noble fight to the end!

That was the fifth and final race in the four-day Regatta, time to relax and have some fun! For the next couple of hours as dusk descended over Hillsborough, tired and happy crew members buzzed between boats, sharing laughs and Caribs, and re-living battles. We found out by hearing it on the radio that “A special sportsmanship award goes out to Walter Ollivierre,

Call:

contestants had to balance their way along the pole and grab two bottles of Coke dangling at the end. The pole remained unconquered, and some of the falls were truly spectacular, including a few from our brave but oh so foolhardy Captain Danny. The rest of the evening was given over to maypole dancing, weightlifting competition, musical chairs (which I won, somewhat tipsily), donkey racing, beer drinking contest (ditto, more tipsily), and finally the big event: the prizegiving.

There was more at stake than kudos: there’s money.

To its credit the government of Grenada supports the Regatta with EC$100,000 per year, which goes towards the huge expenses involved in staging the annual event. Republic Bank and other commercial sponsors also chip in with much-needed financial support. It costs a fortune to operate and maintain these classic wooden boats, helped in a small way by the prize money on offer. The winner was determined by the aggregate score over all five races, but as in all things Carriacou, there was some uncertainty as to exactly who had won what, compounded by vagueness over start and finishing lines.

The sloops’ overall winners were nearly the same as the round-the-island race: Glacier, Mageta O and Free in St. Barths.

Danny, Sam and I filed onstage to collect Savvy’s

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confusing, exhilarating, invigorating, occasionally painful and — did I say just plain FUN? Congratulations to the Regatta Committee, Government of Grenada and the sponsors for contributing their time, energy and money to keep the tradition alive. Amidst all the shiny new hotels and cruise ships, there will always be a place for authentic island traditions, like building and racing classic wooden boats. A huge thanks to Danny and Sam for hosting an unforgettable trip, and for hauling my backside back on board — literally!

Needless to say throughout the trip I was nauseating friends and family with a constant stream of texts and pictures, and we’ve already booked our places on Savvy for next year’s 54th sailing of the one-and-only Carriacou Regatta!

Brian Samuel is a Grenadian who daydreams of sailing while chained to his desk at the Caribbean Development Bank in Barbados. His introduction to sailing came in 1992, when he bought a 26-foot engineless yacht called Jump-Up and sailed around the Eastern Caribbean with his equally mad brother Gerry. Since then he has confined his sailing to chartered yachts and OPBs, Other People’s Boats, while waiting to finally retire and waste his pension on yet another yacht. * The Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage defines “red” (skinned) as “Being of any colour from brown to near-white”. ** In the Grenadines, “white people” can mean foreigners or expats rather than specifically referring to Caucasians.

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PEACEFUL PARHAM

by Christine Gooch The water of Antigua’s North Sound is a patchwork of shades of blue as we thread our way through a maze of reefs and small islands. There is a low chop, but this area is protected from the swell by outer barrier reefs, with only a few unmarked narrow and twisting channels out into open water beyond. The sun is high enough to make it easy to spot the brown patches of reef and the pale blue shallows, but just in case it won’t be when we retrace our steps, the chart plotter is recording our track, leaving a trail that my husband, Kevin, unpoetically calls “mouse droppings”.

Late-morning we drop the anchor of our Prout 38 catamaran, Sweet Sensation, in two metres of water off the town of Parham. The water is murky with a muddy bottom and mangrove-lined shore. The hum from a large electricity generating plant is a constant background noise. Two or three unattended yachts are moored nearby, but apart from that we are alone. Kevin wants to go ashore before we decide if we will stay the night, so we dinghy to the fishing wharf, where Kevin gets talking to a local fisherman who is welding fishing pots. He says his name is Hillpock (we are learning that Antiguans seem to introduce themselves using only their surname), and says we will be quite safe. He also shows us where we can get water and dump rubbish at the fish dock.

Kevin’s eye: Non-contributory Member Contributory Member Lapse Member Funerals $1055 $455 $1660 Weddings $1635 $1135 $1760 Clearly it pays not to let your membership lapse, especially if you want to be buried there.

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Above: A quiet street in Parham invites a stroll Below: The interior of St. Peter’s Anglican church, built in 1840, is stunning

Left: ‘We decide we like Parham very much; it is a complete contrast to the west coast’

Below: Site of the first open-air meeting of the Salvation Army

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

Top: The fishermen’s wharf. Parham was once the second most important port in Antigua

OCTOBER 2018

Outside, the churchyard is dotted with large shady trees, and oleander bushes with spiky leaves and pale pink flowers. We wander for a while, reading the inscriptions on the headstones. Kevin is particularly taken by one that, instead of giving the dates of birth and death, records them as “sunrise” and “sunset”.

The church was built in 1840 and there is still a service there every Sunday at 9:00AM. It is obviously well cared-for, unlike the Pilgrim Holiness chapel in the town, with its red tin roof and glass missing from the top of shuttered Gothic windows. We discover another two places of worship in this small town, a second chapel and a Roman Catholic church — a small stone building with a corrugated iron roof. A commemorative plaque under a tree, surrounded by a tangle of undergrowth and vivid purple bougainvillea, records that “On this site in 1903, Captain James Grant held the first open air meeting [of the Salvation Army] under this tamarind tree”.

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We stroll through the dusty streets of the little town in search of the church, which we have heard is lovely. Parham was once the second most important port in Antigua, and home to the Governor. Now it is a sleepy little town of wooden houses, a couple of small grocery stores and a local bar.

St. Peter’s Anglican church sits on top of a hill. Leading up to it is a tarmac drive, its entrance flanked by two imposing stone pillars topped with enormous terracotta lidded urns. I can imagine Georgian carriages bowling up the drive, bringing plantation owners and their families dressed in their Sunday best. This impression is reinforced by the grand entrance: heavy wooden doors framed by square pillars and a square pediment in the same pale creamy sandstone from which the church is built. The interior is stunning; sunlight floods through large arched windows of clear glass in the side walls, lighting up the sandstone walls, the chestnut-coloured pews and their white-painted ends. The wood glows with the sheen of polish. The rows of pews at either side of the church are angled towards the altar, where a pair of brightly coloured stained glass windows draws the eye. The high domed roof is crisscrossed by a lattice of beams. A second-storey balcony of white-painted box pews overlooks the central aisle; it is reached by a pair of sturdy wooden staircases on either side of the entrance vestibule. The whole effect is light and airy, and immensely soothing. In one side aisle is a baby grand piano and — curiously — a drum kit.

We pause to read white marble memorial stones dating from the 1800s. One is dedicated to “Martha, the much-loved wife of Sir William Byam, Knight. Admirable in the relations of life as a dutiful daughter, affectionate sister, exemplary wife, fond mother, kind mistress, firm friend and faithful Christian”, who died May 8th, 1867, aged 76. She sounds like a Jane Austen heroine.

The table of fees for weddings and funerals displayed in the church porch catches

By now we are thirsty, so we stop at The Big Bamboo Bar. The lunch menu looks tempting, so we eat there, watched by an unblinking tortoiseshell cat while chickens scratch in the dirt outside. Chicken and chips, a veggie burger and three beers for EC$33 (about £9.00), is excellent value and tasty, too.

We decide we like Parham very much; it is a complete contrast to the holiday hotels, apartments and villas we had passed as we made our way along the west coast.

Back at the quay, Kevin asks Mr. Hillpock what fishing methods the locals use. He says they use lines, poles and pots. Game fish are sold directly to the hotels and the fishermen have to fish in the deep waters between here and the north coast of St. Kitts to catch them. Kevin asks how the fishermen make their way through the outer reefs and Mr. Hillpock says they use the Little Bird Channel. He adds that with a chart plotter we could easily find our way out and make our way to Barbuda. Kevin jokes that he would follow a fisherman.

We need more vegetables, and as there are none to be found in Parham the following day we take the bus to Antigua’s capitol, St. Johns. The route passes through the outskirts of Parham, revealing it to be larger and more spread out than we had thought. Once we leave Parham, with its “Thank you for coming. Come again” sign, we are travelling through pastureland, the hills a dark, distant smudge.

The radio in the bus is tuned to a talk show. The news bulletin sounds just like the news in the UK: calls for a politician to resign following a scandal, worries about an increase in violent crime, a bomb threat at the Customs & Excise HQ; public sector workers striking for higher pay.

Back at Parham, our rucksack laden with veggies from the market in St. Johns, we buy bread at the little grocery store near the fish dock. It’s still only mid-morning — perfect for reef spotting — so we bring up the anchor and motor out into North Sound, heading for our next anchorage.

Central Panama is Far More Than the Canal

by Ray Jason

OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

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AARON JALIL/WWW.AJCJMOMENTOS.COM

Let’s take a drone’s-eye view of the central Caribbean coast of Panama. As we gain altitude, we notice that all of the boats in the San Blas Islands are anchored. But proceeding westward we suddenly encounter four sizable marinas in the next hundred miles. And there are many handsome cruising boats docked in these facilities.

If the drone swooped downward, it would notice that these marinas are also different

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The new Linton Bay Marina — ‘I once anchored exactly where the new docks are positioned’

from one another. This is consistent with the amazing variety that one finds when cruising here in the southwestern curve of the Caribbean. And along with these dockside facilities, there are two very nice on-the-hook destinations to enchant you — not to mention the mighty Canal. So, let’s drone in on this stretch of the Undiscovered Caribbean.

Only about 30 miles west of the San Blas Islands you will encounter the Turtle Cay Marina (turtlecaymarina.com). Actually, you might sail right past it, since it is tucked into a very sheltered little spot. It can accommodate about 70 boats and has a nice nearby beach with a toes-in-the-sand palapa bar and restaurant. It is an ongoing development, and worth stopping in to see the latest improvements.

A couple dozen more miles down the coast you will encounter the new Linton Bay Marina (www.lintonbaymarina.com). It is in a picturesque and protected spot.

Indeed, I once anchored exactly where the new docks are positioned. They also have a full-service boatyard and a travel-lift that Neptune himself would admire. It is massive and can accommodate boats with a 37-foot beam and up to 120 tons.

—Continued on next page

and suddenly you realize that a couple of weeks have swept by.

It is the Rio Chagres, and it is as rich in history as it is in beauty.

Located about six miles from the canal breakwater’s entrance, the mouth of the river is guarded by another Spanish fort that is still in great condition. It is positioned on the summit of an impressive hill, but the hike up to it is not that tough and well worth the effort.

Anchored in the Rio Chagres: ‘The high jungle walls cut you off from all contact with the outside world’ Just before you arrive at the fort, there is a spectacular tree filled with oropendola nests. These are also called “weaver birds” because of the incredible nests that they create: large vertical baskets with small openings to protect their chicks.

But the big attraction is the rio itself. The solitude, the untouched Nature and the intense quiet will mesmerize you. The main sounds will be bird calls and the howler monkeys. There are also machete-mandatory jungle hikes and small waterfalls to enjoy. The high jungle walls cut you off from all contact with the outside world.

Wanna get away?

So as we land the Eye-in-the-Sky on the drone deck, we can savor again the wondrous variety of this stretch of Panama’s shoreline. It has ingredients to satisfy almost any sailor — a rugged coastline, lots of history, a pristine river and marinas full of convenience and creature comforts. Plus, it is downwind from the Eastern Caribbean and — no hurricanes.

OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

—Continued from previous page Besides the work yard, they feature dry storage and they encourage do-it-yourself haul-outs as well.

I Skyped with Brian, the manager, in early September and he let me know that the clubhouse with its bar and restaurant will probably be completed shortly after you are reading this. He also mentioned that other amenities will soon be coming on line.

Just across from the marina is Isla Linton, which has a sizable population of the tall, skinny spider monkeys. I once advised a cruising couple to not leave their daypacks on the shore if they went swimming there. Alas, they did not heed my sea gypsy wisdom, and spent half an hour trying to retrieve their gear without getting scratched or bitten. Since they had been forewarned, I felt no guilt while enjoying this entertainment.

The next marina down the coast is known for being a great, inexpensive place where one can safely store their boat for inland travels or perhaps for a visit to their home country. It is called Panamarina (www.panamarina.net) and it is in a narrow mangrove bay. The boats are moored bow and stern and there is a small dry storage area as well. Jean Paul and Sylvie Orlando have been running the place for years.

They have a nice bar and restaurant, and on my last visit it was boisterous and fun — probably still is.

Moving westward towards the Canal, we next encounter a bay full of boats, cannons and history. This is Portobelo, which was the Caribbean trans-shipment port for the Spanish fleets returning with their holds full of stolen Inca gold. Naturally, such activity attracted the attention of pirates. So, of course, the Spaniards built a couple of forts in order to protect their stolen booty from this rival group of thieves.

Forts have a way of enduring, and you can anchor and spend some memorable hours exploring these ruins. You can even take photos of your boat through the gunports — the proverbial cannon’s-eye view. The little town itself does not offer much, but it does provide access to both Colón and Panama City. This is via the frequent buses on the road that is just steps away from the dinghy dock. This is also a convenient spot to pick up or drop off guests.

When you sail out of Portobelo, you are now getting mighty close to the magnificent Panama Canal. You will pass through dozens of handsome ships awaiting their turn to transit The Ditch. Just inside the massive breakwater, if you turn hard to starboard you will be heading directly towards the Shelter Bay Marina (shelterbaymarina.com).

This is a terrific facility in so many ways. The marina is totally protected from the constant wakes from the 24/7 movement of the big ships and tugs. They have good floating docks with full hookups and a fuel dock as well. The bar-restaurant and bathrooms are clean and nice.

Their boatyard can accommodate both monohulls and catamarans. It is a fullservice yard, but also allows sailors to work on their own boats. If the boatyard dust becomes too much for you, there is now a stylish boutique hotel on the property.

A free daily shuttle runs to the nearby shopping malls and you can often take the van to Panama City for chandlery runs at an affordable rate. And to top off this list of conveniences, the marina staff are very skilled at helping to arrange a Panama Canal transit for a reasonable fee. I have used almost all of these services personally, and have been treated very well.

As the drone’s battery starts to weaken, we still have enough juice left to visit one more great spot on this tour of Panama’s central Caribbean coast. And it is a BIG favorite of mine. It is one of those places where you expect to dawdle for a few days,

PAGE 23

TEN YEARS AFTER

Part Two:

Predictions for the Coming Sailing Season 2018 –19

OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 24

The Caribbean yachting sector has often been praised for its “resiliency” in the wake of various negative impacts. After the 2007-2008 global economic downturn, Compass asked a cross-section of people in the Caribbean yachting sector to reveal their predictions for the 2008–2009 sailing season. These predictions were published in our October 2008 issue (page 22 at www.caribbeancompass.com/ online/october08compass_online.pdf).

In last’s month’s issue of Compass, in ‘Ten Years After, Part One’, we revisited 2008’s predictions to see how clear, cloudy or cracked our correspondents’ crystal balls were!

Now, we ask Caribbean yachting sector members to give us their predictions, in light of the past decade’s events, for sailing season 2018–19. Thanks to all the fortunetellers who participated!

How do you foresee this coming season — ‘business as usual’ or will there be significant changes from past winter seasons?

Julie San Martin of St. Croix: “Will there be significant changes? Yes — we had no ‘winter season’ in 2017-2018! Relief workers filled all available hotel rooms and the harbor was still littered with sunken boats. This year will be a significant improvement!”

Loïc Bonnet of Dream Yacht Charters tells of business as usual, but relocated: “When you do business in the Caribbean, you need to respect Mother Nature as she is a great leveler, both literally and figuratively. Last year the Irma and Maria hur-

‘The unpredictable political and weather climates we all discussed ten years ago here in the Caribbean Compass have become more exaggerated since then…’ ricanes had a devastating effect on our BVI and St. Martin fleets.

“Customer confidence was slow to return for some of the hardest hurricane-hit areas, although we were amazed at the loyalty shown by the diehard British Virgin Islands super-fans. We recovered our operations swiftly, re-opening last November through the relocation of our fleet, acquiring aligned companies and ordering newbuilds.

“Although parts of the Caribbean were severely damaged, we’re widely spread with a network of bases in the Caribbean so we could relocate customers quickly. Our clients have great affinity with the islands and we were positioned to accommodate the many sailors who still wanted to sail, but in different parts of islands than originally planned, such as Grenada and the Bahamas.”

From the Western Caribbean, Julia Bartlett notes a difference: “The summer norm in Guatemala is for cruisers to spend a couple of weeks after their arrival putting their boat to bed and then heading off to their home countries, but this year there are many more staying around for the whole season. They are organizing all sorts of onshore adventures and activities, which is great for the local economy. This increase in activities is in part just because there are many more boats here, but also it’s less expensive to stay put.”

JoAnne and Bill Harris of the trimaran Ultra say, “We believe that business should remain as usual. The communities that were hit extremely hard [by hurricanes last year] depend on tourism and yacht chartering is a large part of it. From a cruiser’s perspective, the basics are important: chandleries, boat services, fuel, provisioning and food. It is important to continue to visit these islands to provide tourism dollars so they can continue to rebuild.”

If you predict changes, are you doing anything special in relation to them?

Julie San Martin of St. Croix Yacht Club says, “Right now, St. Croix has an active year-round junior sailing program, but keelboats race infrequently. As a regatta organizer… we would like to attract multihulls. Cruising multihulls can be raced — if you want to race badly enough — and there are currently several schemes to figure out handicaps so they can enter Caribbean regattas. Our motto is ‘No boat turned away from our race!’”

James Pascall, owner-operator Horizon Yacht Charters Grenada & St. Vincent, says, “Financial conditions globally continue to make the [charter] market price sensitive. As an owner-operated company, we can respond to this and can keep our prices highly competitive.

“Owners are now looking for more options regarding safe havens for their boats and we are seeing a significant increase in boats relocating to the southern Caribbean. They are also looking for new and different charter options such as more flexible charter plans and more comprehensive hurricane-season storage plans.

“There have also been considerable changes in the insurance industry, which also impact on the character of business. For example, some insurance companies have withdrawn from the Caribbean yacht insurance market completely, while others are imposing far greater restrictions — not just on the geographical areas accepted, but also on the type and conditions of storage. This can pose significant challenges to charter companies, particularly those with big fleets.”

Jacqui Pascal of Horizon adds, “We are definitely seeing increased demand for more sophisticated specifications from our clients and in response to this we are now fulfilling our long-term plan to add new boats to our fleet.

“Since we opened our St. Vincent base at Blue Lagoon there has been an increasing trend towards one-way charters through the Grenadines. Customer feedback has been extremely positive and this is something we see continuing to grow.”

Loïc Bonnet notes, “The yacht charter industry has reached a pivotal development point and is now undergoing profound change to make leisure yachting accessible to all. There is a growing consumer need for ‘on demand’ products within the tourism industry and we’re seeing new product development, such as collaborative boatrental schemes, boat clubs and innovative leisure boat chartering. The growth of social consciousness means people no longer want to just visit a destination and sit on a beach in a resort, particularly the younger generations, and this is what our by-the-cabin offer caters for. We will continue to encourage non-sailors to explore outside of the resorts and sail with us to the smaller islands, helping their economic development.”

Marc Rooijakkers of Curaçao Marine says, “We have been implementing quite a few changes at our facility. The most important was making sure to be able to accommodate more yachts during this hurricane season: we offered 250 spots on the hard instead of our previous maximum of 140, and we have been fully booked. We also ask the customers on the hard to communicate the work that they want done on their boats well in advance, as we need to plan ahead for everything to run smoothly. As of this year we can haul out bigger yachts; we have cleared special parking spots for them, and we dredged our entryway to be able to accommodate yachts with up to three metres draft.

“We also find it important to inform and to keep sailors up to date, not only about our marina and boatyard, but also about Curaçao as a great yachting destination in general. We do this through different mediums, especially online such as via our website, Facebook, Instagram and our quarterly newsflash. Visit www.curacaomarine.com to see all the changes that have been made and are planned.”

Speaking of websites, Julie San Martin says, “The Internet has been a fantastic boon to businesses in the Caribbean. We all got our [2017 hurricane] stories out quickly, which was not possible in 1990, when Hugo wiped St. Croix. This time, we saw US and European sailors make additional efforts to attend regattas in the worseaffected Caribbean areas in 2018, because of the social media communications.”

Ken Goodings of S/V Silverheels 3 adds, “Social media and the internet have changed how we communicate, for better or worse. The Grenadian cruisers’ Facebook ‘experiment’ of 2009-2010 has turned into a group for almost every island. Getting information is so much easier. This will continue.”

Mary Stone of M/V Lady Astor also comments, “Smartphones (invented just ten years ago) changed everything. WiFi and digital data plans are now common in the Caribbean. Navigation, autopilots, GPS, radar, sonar, electrical systems, tank levels, safety systems and sat phones can all be monitored and controlled with smart phone or tablet apps. Add to that cruiser-related information websites for guides, safety and security information, social media, cruiser groups and forums, etcetera. If it is all working well, the cruiser is the best informed ever, by information generated from within the vessel as well as information generated from without the vessel and integrated into its systems.

“One of the dark sides is that when electronics fail it gets really dark and in some cases dangerous. Then there is the dark side of digital information from cruiser social media. Misinformation, disinformation, hardened opinions/positions, and consolidated control of cruiser social media groups promote the biases of the few to

‘Storage, yard facilities and “minders” will be in more demand…’ the many. Social media has exaggerated the best and worst of cruiser networks, and that will likely continue. For businesses it is a way to reach cruisers. For cruisers it is a lot of noise to filter.

“Am I doing anything special with regard to these factors? Yes. I have deleted all my social media accounts to reduce the noise. There are other ways I get only the information I need, when I need it.”

Julie San Martin wraps up the adaptations to changes: “As someone whose family has lived on St. Croix for over 60 years, run a business here for more than 30, totaled the same boat (the 36-foot trimaran Three Little Pigs) twice in hurricanes — you get up in the morning, fix as much as you can, try to have fun, get a good night’s sleep, and repeat!”

What else does your “crystal ball” have to tell Compass readers about Sailing Season 2018-2019?

Ellen Birrell and Jim Hutchins of S/V Boldly Go say, “It is still too early to predict whether sympathetic charter customers will again stream into USVI and BVI, but most charterers we talk to are exploring the idea of chartering in the Grenadines or Grenada.

“For the first time in nine years we do not plan to sail down into the Windwards for 2019 — we are bucking the trend. We plan to re-unite with two cruising buddy boats, like the good ol’ days, in Culebra this winter. Having the Virgins/Puerto Rico area thinned out of cruisers and charterers will be nice for us, although not so nice for those whose livelihood relies on robust visitation by cruisers, charterers and land-lubbing vacationers.”

Julie San Martin predicts, “We will continue to have fun — and welcome the cruisers when they visit. St. Croix is ready. After reading the article from ten years ago, I realized that St. Croix has become much friendlier to cruisers, and has much more to offer, than a decade ago. There are some benefits from a struggling economy! Our locals are not only friendly, they are thrilled to welcome cruisers.

“Both Christiansted harbor and the St. Croix Yacht Club have become convenient and safe places for visiting sailors. Christiansted harbor has seen significant improvements over the ten-year period, making it a great port for cruisers. And — an odd benefit from two hurricanes — contractors have removed wrecks off the bottom of the mooring field.

—Continued on next page

—Continued from previous page “St. Croix Yacht Club, founded 66 years ago for the purpose of ‘extending to visiting yachtsmen the hospitality of St Croix’, is still extending hospitality. Plus SCYC is one of 30 places in the United States with remote access to the new US Customs & Border Patrol easy entry process.”

Another contributor says, “I am nervous as I watch St. Maarten rebuild with the same materials that were stripped with the ease of a wet Band-Aid just last year. But if we have a quiet hurricane season, then this island will be going full force in the winter.”

Karen Stiell of Grenada Sailing Week says, “Many boats are heading south again this year, trying to avoid the devastation of last year and because of insurance constraints. How this year will affect regattas in the southern Caribbean? We hope it will be business as usual, if not better.”

Julia Bartlett says, “The unpredictable political and weather climates we all discussed ten years ago here in the Caribbean Compass have become more exaggerated since then, with no indication that either will stabilize soon. I believe that this will lead to boaters in the Caribbean, and elsewhere, looking for safer havens for their investments, one of which is, of course, their boat.

“Guatemala is very cruiser friendly all-round, and becoming a year-round destination. Belize has loads of tiny unspoiled islands and not much more than a day sail from the Rio Dulce; I suspect many of the boats now in the Rio will be heading there.

“Offshore on the Honduran coast there are pirates lurking, which makes the run to Roatan and Utila and south nerve-racking. But once there you have great diving and all the restaurants, nightlife and dive shops you could want. Boats [now in the Western Caribbean] will also head farther south out of the hurricane belt altogether, joining those from the Eastern Caribbean to enjoy Panama and Colombia and their islands.

“I think all these destinations will benefit from last year’s active hurricane season, possibly stretching the available facilities and resources, so a little Caribbean mañana might come in handy.”

We expect strong growth in the Caribbean for 2018-2019…’

Dominican Republic Cayman Islands Haiti Cuba Jamaica Trinidad ABC Islands Puerto Rico Lesser Antilles in 3 volumes

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OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2018 Crossing the channels between Caribbean islands with a favorable tide will make your passage faster and more comfortable. The table below, courtesy Don Street, author of Street’s Guides and compiler of Imray-Iolaire charts, which shows the time of the meridian passage (or zenith) of the moon for this AND next month, will help you calculate the tides.

Water, Don explains, generally tries to run toward the moon. The tide starts running to the east soon after moonrise, continues to run east until about an hour after the moon reaches its zenith (see TIME below) and then runs westward.

From just after the moon’s setting to just after its nadir, the tide runs eastward; and from just after its nadir to soon after its rising, the tide runs westward; i.e. the tide floods from west to east. Times given are local.

Note: the maximum tide is 3 or 4 days after the new and full moons.

For more information, see “Tides and Currents” on the back of all Imray Iolaire charts. Fair tides!

11 1502 21 2148 October 2018 12 1552 22 2233 DATE TIME 13 1640 23 2318 1 0448 1727 24 0000 FULL MOON 14 2 0546 25 0005 15 1812 3 0644 26 0055 16 1857 4 0743 27 0148 17 1941 5 0840 28 0212 18 2025 6 0936 29 0310 19 2109 7 1029 30 0409 20 2156 8 1121 31 0538 21 2245 9 1212 November 2018 22 2339 10 1302 1 0635 23 0000 FULL MOON 11 1351 2 0730 24 0032 12 1431 3 0824 25 0131 13 1531 4 0913 26 0237 14 1621 5 1003 27 0332 15 1710 6 1051 28 0431 16 1759 7 1142 29 0527 17 1847 8 1245 30 0630 18 1935 9 1331 19 2019 10 1421 20 2103

PAGE 25

MERIDIAN PASSAGE OF THE MOON

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

Marina Zar-Par

Boca Chica, Dominican Republic www.marinazarpar.com

OCTOBER 2018

Loïc Bonnet predicts, “We expect strong growth in the Caribbean for 20182019 and we’re committed to broadening the appeal of the Caribbean to those seeking adventure. Climate change is evident, but it’s hard to know to what extent and the rate at which it will impact the charter industry at this stage. One thing I can see clearly is the growth in eco-tourism. Customers want to help protect fragile ecosystems.”

Marc Rooijakkers says, “Winter in Curaçao is actually super-high season when it comes to tourism, but has always been low season for yachting. So at Curaçao Marine we are expecting a calm winter to prepare for next hurricane season. We do predict slight changes, as more sailors have been discovering Curaçao as an ‘off the beaten path’ yachting destination. It is not only a safe place, perfect for provisioning and ideal for maintenance on the yacht, but also an island to explore.

“We foresee a great season. Everything will either keep steady or will keep on growing. And with our positive efforts, we see the latter happening in our crystal ball.”

Ken Goodings and Lynn Kaak of S/V Silverheels 3 say, “Boat movements during the winter cruising season post IrMaria won’t really change. I think we will continue to see a decline in full time, year-round, cruisers, with more people storing their boat for hurricane season and going home; this goes with having more money.”

Mary Stone elaborates: “More and more cruisers come in waves. Gangs of cruisers move to the Caribbean in rallies and other organized events and then store their boats or leave them at moorings so they can return to their home country during the hurricane season. While this is not necessarily new, it does seem to be increasing behavior: one foot in the Caribbean, the other foot at home.”

Thus, Ken and Lynn continue, “Storage facilities will be very busy. Insurance requirements will dictate where most boats will spend hurricane season, more than ever. Some insurers have changed their policies to ridiculous limitations, and some won’t insure at all. Grenada and Trinidad will be very busy, and I think more boats will be looking at Guyana for a change, since Venezuela is basically off limits now.

Colombia, if it remains safe, will become more popular.

“There seems to be more money out there, overall, which is great for the Caribbean marine industry. There also seem to be more investments being made in more facilities.”

Mary Stone predicts, “With regard to safety and security, the usual suspect destinations will continue to be more or less as they have been. With digital and social media amplification we will likely hear more about roughly the same number of reported incidents. (Historically, it’s been fewer than a hundred reports per year across 35 or more islands for decades, according to CSSN website data.)

“The basics for safer cruising still apply: chains, brains and bars; lights, locks and luck. And in problem areas, if local business interests, government and private security cooperate intensively to secure the destination for the benefit of visitors, then a safer Caribbean may emerge. We already know that when done well it is very effective and the business implications of secure destinations are significant.

“As fleets of cruisers move through the Caribbean they put serious pressure on dinghy docks, shore facilities, moorings and crowded anchorages. And more boats in small areas become target-rich opportunities for crime. The business implication is that storage, yard facilities and ‘minders’ will be in more demand. Shore facilities will need extra capacity and security.”

She concludes, “My overall conclusion is that cruising life has gotten more noisy and has become a stimulus-rich environment. At some point cruisers will need to deal with the fact that they have the world literally in the palm of their hand and can be connected to it at all times. That seems to be the antithesis of the reason a lot of people go cruising: to enjoy the beauty of different places, peace and quiet, and an escape from all the over-stimulation of modern life. Yet cruisers still bring all that with them and spend lots of time interacting with their device of choice, never really escaping much. It will be interesting to see how people deal with all that. For businesses, it will be a challenge to get attention and rise above the noise contained in the cruiser’s hand.”

Bill and JoAnne Harris say, “We feel that the bottom line is that we are all people and must continue to help the Caribbean community as a whole, and never stop remembering why we all left to go cruising in the first place. They depend primarily on tourism dollars, [and] we all had the dream to sail off to these amazing islands to have countless adventures.”

Ken Goodings and Lynn Kaak bring us full circle: “Best quote in the original 2008 article? Julia Bartlett’s: ‘My forecast for the 2008-2009 Sailing Season is that prices will continue to increase, boats will get bigger and the storms stronger, and there will still be sailors in small boats, dodging the pirates and enjoying every moment without ever playing Mexican train dominoes. Business as usual.’

“And she was right.”

FREE CRUISING GUIDES

Shaping Our Coastlines

by Lexi Fisher As yachtspeople, we are keenly aware of the ocean’s enduring force. The relentless ebb and flow churns up sediment and nutrients, affects weather, dictates marine lifecycles, and shapes coastlines. The ocean’s forces hollow cliff sides and carry and deposit sand into a continuously shifting landscape. Those who choose to live their lives (or at least some of it) at sea have a front-row seat at this perpetual dance of give and take.

CHRIS DOYLE (ALL)

coastal erosion: waves, currents, sea level rise, beach shape, storms, vegetation, and sand mining. The removal of shoreline vegetation to facilitate coastline development, for example, can remove the network of roots that are critical to a beach’s stability.

Often, the cause of coastal degradation or erosion is unknown. Take Sandy Island, Carriacou, for example. Thirty years ago the entire length was lined with palm trees with a small thicket and changing huts at the eastern end. Chris Doyle, who has been cruising and writing guides for the islands since the 1980s, recalls the sudden change that occurred in the early 2000s: “Then slowly the beach on the southern side started to erode, the sand was eaten away and the palms collapsed into the sea as the beach got eaten away. Like lines of defense they would fall row by row, until there were no palm trees at the eastern end, the changing huts went, and there was nothing but a small clump of vegetation just west of the middle. Waves would wash right over the middle at high tide, cutting it into two islands.”

Thankfully, at some point a storm surge beached a line of broken coral along the northern face, creating a natural seawall. The erosion slowed and eventually reversed, palm trees were replanted, ground vegetation regrew, and the island stabilized.

The unpredictability of such events makes coastline development precarious by nature. Barbuda’s Lighthouse Bay Resort Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel and the only structure on Barbuda’s famed 16-mile beach, opened in 2007. The shoreline gradually receded and in early 2017 the main building was unsettlingly close to the water’s edge. Even without the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma in August of that year, it was plain to see it was soon to become much more beach than beachfront.

What Are the Best Solutions?

We are also continuing to learn how what is under the water can affect what is on shore. Something as apparently small as over-harvesting of lambi (conch) and sea urchin can cause the algae they feed on to grow out of control and smother reefs, affecting the reef’s ability to lessen wave impact on nearby shorelines. A recent study of Grenville, on the east coast of Grenada, exemplified this. While the cause of the reef degradation is unknown, the study shows that the high rate of shoreline erosion in the northern part of the bay is correlated to a significant die-off and deepening of the reef in that area. An artificial reef restoration project is underway [see “‘Resilient Islands’ Launches in Grenada” in Caribbean Eco-News in last month’s Compass], Left: In 2002, Sandy Island near Carriacou had just a small clump of trees left

OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 26

Below: Now, thanks largely to the stopping of erosion, there is healthy vegetation over most of the island

With NASA predictions of a sea level rise up to two metres by 2100, coastline development and its effects are a growing concern, particularly for small island developing states. Coupled with storm surges and global climate change, the implications and challenges of sea level rise are immense. Scientists and coastal engineers work to study these factors and how they interact, yet much is still unknown.

Yachtspeople bear witness from a unique niche of the travel and tourism industry; our time spent in a region as a whole is usually much longer than traditional tourists on a week-long holiday, yet most of us like to island-hop and experience all that the region has to offer, providing a larger frame of reference than those who choose to remain sedentary. The nature of the tradewinds also means that many of us follow a migration, a yearly pilgrimage if you will, to our favorite islands and bays. This provides not just a large frame of reference in terms of geography, but also in terms of time; we witness first-hand the long-term effects of global climate change, sea level rise, and coastline development. Unlike local populations that witness these changes gradually, we get yearly snapshots: a candid time-lapse of geological change.

Causes of Change Obviously, some changes happen faster than others. Rapid-onset events such as hurricanes and storm surges have the most dramatic effects, scarring and shifting the coastline within a matter of days or hours. Slow-onset events such as sea level rise, global climate change, and habitat degradation take decades or centuries to develop, and thus the long-term impacts of such are more difficult to predict. Some events, such as sand mining, loss of vegetation, and environmental degradation, can be either rapid- or slow-onset, depending on time frame and severity. These events can also be divided by cause — natural or man-made — a distinction that has become blurred as the science behind events such as sea level rise and global climate change continue to develop.

Regardless of the cause, all of these events have a chain reaction throughout ecological and geological systems. Think “butterfly effect”: one small change in the system can have unknown and seemingly disconnected impacts further down the line. These natural and man-made events affect major factors that directly influence

and has already shown evidence of providing a shoreline sheltering effect far greater than its physical footprint. In this way, the study indicates that offshore reef structures have the potential to be a more attractive and worthwhile option than traditional shoreline mitigation measures (such as seawalls), the effects of which are often limited by their physical footprint.

—Continued on next page

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—Continued from previous page On the other side of Grenada, in Sauteurs, the government has taken a more traditional approach to coastline protection. In early 2017 the beach had eroded so far that the line of businesses between the beach and the main road were at risk.

A development company was commissioned by the government to build a breakwater, currently almost 800 feet long, with an access road of a similar length. The commissioned project is an additional 100 feet, soon to be completed. There are plans for an additional leg to be added, which would create a more protected anchorage and create potential for a marina development, a project that would require private investors.

In the meantime, the corner formed by the breakwater and access road, the eastern end of the bay, has quickly filled in and created a wide and growing beach area.

The lagoon created by the breakwater was dredged to create a comfortable anchorage, although it is hard to tell if shoaling continues, and at what rate. Locals are excited at the prospect of visiting yachtspeople, and are happy to have a spacious, sandy beach in town.

But all that sand for the growing beach ultimately comes from somewhere — in this case, the western end of the bay where a small number of houses are affected.

It is unknown whether this was anticipated, but a Jamaican coastal environmental engineering company was hired to assess the situation in early 2018. They recommended building groins along the western end to mitigate the effects, although gov-

processes is paramount in avoiding unintended negative effects. Data availability in itself is a huge hurdle; historical data of sediment transport patterns is often inaccurate and/or incomplete, or the length of the data record is too short, especially in small developing nations. Stakeholders affected aren’t always those with the most influence; among the government, private development companies, tourism sectors, and the local population, those who have the most to lose are hardly ever those who have the most control.

Give and take: After construction of a breakwater in Sauteurs, Grenada, sand quickly filled in and created a wide beach area (below). At Lighthouse Bay, Barbuda, the shoreline gradually receded and eventually the main hotel building was unsettlingly close to the water’s edge (right)

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

Lexi Fisher is a writer and partner in Chris Doyle’s Cruising Guides. The 2019-2020 Windward Islands edition, which includes a new chapter on Sauteurs, will be available from chandleries in November, or online from www.cruisingguides.com. The guide’s new information about Sauteurs as a yacht spot will also be published in next month’s issue of Compass.

OCTOBER 2018

ernment approval, and presumably further funding, is still required. (For navigational info on anchoring in Sauteurs, along with details on services, restaurants, and nearby attractions, check out next month’s edition of Compass or purchase the 20192020 edition of Chris Doyle’s Cruising Guide to the Windward Islands.)

Challenges Ahead This illustrates many of the challenges related to responsible coastline development, where the importance of accurate historical data and knowledge of coastal

When it comes to the ocean’s forces there is no such thing as a “sure thing”, but we can question decisions, and we can take every opportunity make sure our voices are heard and that stakeholders are represented. We can encourage informed decisions by asking the hard questions; when it comes to coastline development and erosion, what can be done? And more importantly, what should be done? When is it okay to influence natural cycles? How do we know if our efforts will have a positive outcome? Are the potential benefits worth the potential drawbacks? Who benefits?

Who suffers? Who is accountable?

If you have concerns over specific coastline development projects or have been noticing significant erosion, please contact local ministries of tourism, environmental groups, non-government organizations, and/or groups involved with climate change research. Especially in secluded areas that are only accessible by boat, governments and other agencies may not be aware of even major changes, let alone the subtle ones that are often witnessed by cruisers’ unique perspective. The Caribbean and small island developing states are particularly vulnerable to climate change, and there are endless research studies being conducted at any given time. For a list of government environmental and conservation agency websites and contact information, listed by island, visit https://earthdirectory.net/caribbean#agencies.

PAGE 27

The Renaissance Marina, located in the heart of Oranjestad is part of the Renaissance Aruba Resort and Casino and can accommodate more than 50 yachts.

Located at 12° 31' 2.3124'' N 70° 2' 16.8'' W, Renaissance Marina is the island‘s most beautiful marina. It stretches over much of this picturesque waterfront community combining the largest entertainment and shopping facility in Aruba with the natural beauty of the Marina.

The marina supplies fresh running water and 110/220/360V 60Hz electricity, satellite TV with security guards on duty 24 hours a day. For your convenience there are showers and ice machines available.

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THE CARIBBEAN SKY: FREE SHOW NIGHTLY!

The Sky from Mid-October to Mid-November

by Jim Ulik

OCTOBER 2018

ESAFOSTER

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 28

FIGURE 1

Interested in launching someone to the Moon or Mars? Or, would you rather join the crew that will construct the first settlement in space? Bases on these bodies could be started as soon as 2022. Physicist Stephen Hawking has previously spoken in favor of colonizing space as an insurance policy against the possibility of humanity being wiped out by catastrophes like nuclear war or climate change. He argues that humanity should eventually expand to other solar systems.

“I am convinced humans need to leave Earth and make a new home on another planet; for humans to survive, I believe we must have the preparations in place within 100 years. It could be an asteroid hitting the Earth, it could be a new virus, climate change, nuclear war or artificial intelligence gone rogue.”

Do humans settle the Moon first? Private companies and government agencies from around the globe are working independently and in cooperation to achieve this goal. As for the Moon, there is water ice at the poles for producing oxygen, fuel and liquid water. But is there enough? Oxygen can also be extracted from the Moon’s soil. Or the soil can be used to make bricks to be used for construction. Mars has water ice everywhere and an atmosphere that can be converted into oxygen.

It may only be a couple of decades before the immigration begins.

Tuesday. October 16th Venus has ended its reign as an “evening star”. At dusk this evening it sits on the horizon as it approaches its close alignment with the Sun. The goddess of beauty and love will remain hidden in the sun’s rays until the beginning of November. After a few days it will be seen as the “morning star” shining brightly in the eastern sky.

Rising after noon, the Moon reaches First Quarter. The Moon and Sun are at right angles to each other. The high tides are a little lower and low tides are a little higher than average. The tides are also less because the Moon reaches apogee tomorrow or at its greatest orbital distance from Earth.

Thursday. October 18th There is a conjunction between the Moon and Mars today. As dusk approaches Mars will become more visible west of the Moon. The close approach takes place in the constellation Capricornus.

Looking east you will find Gemini rising just before midnight. Over the next few hours and into the morning of October 19th a few meteors will radiate out of the constellation, streaking across the sky. Overnight marks the peak of the Eta Geminids meteor shower. These are fast-moving meteors that average 157,000 miles per hour (253,000 kilo-

metres per hour). The shower is active from October 14th through the 27th.

Sunday, October 21st The Orionid meteor shower will peak tonight. There could be as many as 25 meteors per hour passing through the night sky. The apparent source is near the constellation Orion. These fast-traveling meteors originated from comet Halley. They travel at about 148,000 miles per hour (238,000 kilometres per hour) into the Earth’s atmosphere. Begin looking for Orion in the eastern sky at 2300 hours. When searching for any meteors, look 90 degrees away from the source. Viewing the meteors will be good because the Moon will reach the New Moon phase tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 24th There is a Full Moon tonight. If you are at a Full Moon party or just enjoying the evening, take a look at the Moon. The bright streaks radiating from craters contain aluminum. Created from meteor impacts, some streaks may go more than one-

Lunar base made with 3D printing lunar soil

quarter of the way around the Moon. The dark areas on the Moon’s surface are made up partially of iron and titanium. Aluminum, iron and titanium are all excellent construction materials. So much for a romantic Full Moon.

Friday, October 26th Today is Captain James Cook’s 290th birthday. He was 40 years old when he sailed to the South Pacific to record the transit of Venus (1769).

Over the next few days, Venus passes on the near side of the Sun. Unfortunately, there will not be another transit until December 10th and 11th, 2117.

—Continued on next page

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—Continued from previous page This point in Venus’ orbit will mark the transition of Venus from being visible in the evening to becoming a morning planet. In line with Earth, Venus and the Sun is the Parker Solar Probe that has reached Mercury’s orbit on its way to the Sun. See Figure 3.

FIGURE 3

Position of the Earth, Venus, Mercury and the Parker Solar Probe, on October 26th

Friday, November 9th Tonight is the peak of the Andromedids meteor shower. This minor shower is active September 25th through December 6th. These shooting stars will radiate out of the northeastern sky from the constellation Andromeda, a few degrees east of the Andromeda Galaxy.

Sunday, November 11th Look off the illuminated side of the Moon. Saturn can be located no more than two degrees away towards the southwest. With the Milky Way as a backdrop, both objects are situated in Sagittarius.

Wednesday, November 14th Venus is becoming more apparent in the eastern sky this morning. If you are up early you will see the conjunction between Venus and Spica.

Thursday, November 15th For the second time this period there is a close approach between the Moon and Jupiter. Mars is the bright object just off the unlit side of the Moon.

In the News International Observe the Moon Night (InOMN) is an annual worldwide public event that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of our Moon and its connection to planetary science and exploration. InOMN is sponsored by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter with support from NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute and the Lunar and Planetary Institute. There are usually over 500 events annually in over 40 countries, hosted by universities, observatories, NASA Centers, schools, museums, parks, libraries, and amateur astronomers. Caribbean events in 2017 were held by: Club de Astronomia Los Robles - Los Robles Astronomy Club, Miranda, Venezuela Northeastern College Astronomical Society - Northeastern College, Trinidad & Tobago San Antonio Astronomy Club - The San Antonio de Padua School, in collaboration with the Astronomical Society of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico The 2018 International Observe the Moon Night will be held on October 20th.

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FIGURE 2

All times are given as Atlantic Standard Time (AST) unless otherwise noted. The times are based on a viewing position in Grenada and may vary by only a few minutes Jupiter and Mercury are also positioned in the direction of the Sun. Wait until after in different Caribbean locations. sunset to spot these celestial bodies or you will suffer Solar Ocular Burns (SOBs).

Look for the conjunction of those planets to appear right above the western horizon Jim Ulik of S/V Merengue is a photographer and cruiser. after sunset.

Look east this evening to see the conjunction between the Eye of the Bull, Aldebaran, and the Moon.

Monday, October 29th Jupiter and Mercury will make their close approach tonight in the The Moon and Earth’s upper atmosphere as seen constellation Libra. Jupiter remains relatively in the same position from the International Space Station over the next few days while Mercury will gradually progress towards Antares in the constellation Scorpius.

Monday, November 5th Over the next two mornings, about an hour before sunrise, the Moon will share the eastern sky with Venus. As the Moon progresses east towards the Sun it will appear as a thin sliver just to the north of Venus. If you look closely you might see the double star Spica in the mix.

The changing orbit of comet 2P/Encke has left behind two streams of debris. The Earth is passing through one of them now. The first peak event occurs this evening with minimal interference from moonlight. The second peak event happens on November 12th.

Traveling at speeds up to 430,000 miles per hour (692,000 kilometres per hour), the Parker Solar Probe has its first encounter with the Sun. Wednesday, November 7th The Moon now sits between the Earth and Sun, positioned in the constellation Libra. By November 10th the Moon will reach its closest point to the Sun. The New Moon phase occurs today just after 12 noon.

Thursday, November 8th On this Carl Sagan Day there is a conjunction between a sliver Moon and Jupiter. They can be seen just above the western horizon after sunset. A little higher in the sky, Mercury has reached its close approach to Antares.

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OUR SEABOARD BIRDS BY BELA BROWN

Particles of white light catch my eye; my slow, sunbaked brain takes a moment to recognize a Wilson’s Plover walking determinedly along the small salt pond, located in the tiny and charming island of Mayreau.

Dressed in white, with a brown mantle and a single breast band, this large-eyed, strictly coastal plover, once known as the Thick-Billed Plover, is now called the Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) after the 19th century ornithologist Alexander Wilson, who studied the first specimen back in 1813 at Cape May, New Jersey. Although in the past this Neotropical plover roamed as far north as New Jersey, presently its range has receded south, nesting only from Virginia southward to the southern United States and Caribbean, all the way down to Brazil.

But be aware: the Wilson’s Plover is very similar to three other species of plovers found in the Caribbean region: the Piping Plover, the Snowy Plover and the Semipalmated Plover (see last month’s Compass).

Together, all three species are known as “the small ringed plovers” — these Plovers have very similar colour plumage, are of similar size, and have one or two bands or “rings” across the breast. However, at about 16 to 20 centimetres in length, the Wilson’s Plover is the largest of the four, with a more elongated shape and a particularly sturdy bill.

the number of crabs outside burrows during both daytime and night-time, scientists found that contrary to expectations, fiddler crab activity is three to ten times higher during daylight hours. Thus, the study concluded that Wilson’s Plovers’ nocturnal feeding is not entirely tied to their main prey, but is rather a preference for a safer environment from diurnal predators.

Nevertheless, as night-time fiddler crab abundance reaches its peak in July, Wilson’s Plovers appear to strategically lay their first eggs in May and hatch the last clutch in mid-August, in order to coincide with the annual highest crab activity and therefore offer a safer feeding environment for their chicks.

In addition, during the laying and incubation period, from May to August, the feeding pattern of the Wilson’s Plover changes completely compared to the non-breeding season: breeding males, which can be identified by the darker breast band and dark marking on the forehead, incubate most of the night while breeding females forage. During the day the reverse occurs.

This may explain why there are fewer individuals foraging at night during the breeding season.

Wilson’s Plovers are monogamous, produce more than one clutch per season and nest either in isolated pairs or in colonies. Once males establish territory, they scrape various nests in the ground from which the female will choose one. Great care is taken in choosing the nest location — chick survival depends on it. They prefer beaches with sloping ground to avoid nest flooding, preferably with shell or pebble covering, for greater camouflage and perhaps because it indicates that the location is not prone to flooding and therefore a good location to nest. Although like most self-preserving shorebirds they favour open spaces with sparse vegetation, in order to sight approaching predators, previous studies found that Wilson’s Plovers strategically place their nests near isolated clumps of vegetation that offer protection from the sun and pre-

Besides, Wilson’s Plovers are more prey specialists than the other plovers; their strong rocket-shaped bill is a powerful tool, specially adapted for hunting crustaceans such as fiddler crabs, which account for about 98 percent of their diet. The remaining two percent is made up of shrimps, crawfishes, bugs and spiders.

When foraging, they use the visual foraging method typical of large-eyed shorebirds, as opposed to the tactile probing used by smaller-eyed shorebirds, such as the Red Knot. Their foraging tactic is to stand still while visually searching for prey and running directly to it like charging bulls. Wilson’s plovers are both diurnal and nocturnal feeders and during the non-breeding season forage most frequently at night, which they are able to do mainly thanks to their large eyes.

A study conducted in northeastern Venezuela in 1992, involving Wilson’s Plovers and their main prey, the fiddler crab, aimed at explaining why certain species of shorebirds feed mainly at night. Two hypotheses were put forward: one suggested that night feeding occurs when daytime feeding fails to meet the bird’s food requirements. A second hypothesis speculated whether birds favour feeding at night in order to avoid diurnal predators. Based on previous observations indicating that both invertebrate prey (and fish) are more active at night, the study focused on finding a link between fiddler crab night-time activity and the Wilson’s Plovers’ feeding pattern. Using time-lapse video cameras to monitor

vailing winds. In addition, nests are often placed near clumps of dead vegetation, cowpats and even debris, probably so that the owners can easily find them.

Nests are found on coastal beaches, not too far from the water’s edge.

However, for Wilson’s Plovers this is often a difficult compromise; nest too close to the water and the nests will flood or be trampled by beach traffic, too far and they become susceptible to land predators, particularly our four-legged friends which we take for freedom runs on those quiet beaches that Wilson’s plovers use for nesting — dogs. Indeed, nest predation has become a major problem for the Wilson’s Plover global population, which presently has contracted to just a few thousand and is on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Predation is particularly severe in areas where humans have altered the plovers’ habitat, increasing the chance of nest exposure to predators.

Conservation projects to increase the nesting survival of these plovers are currently underway in the United States, where teams of conservationists are installing predator exclosures, to keep both ground and aerial predators at bay. These are wire fences forming tenfoot-diameter circles around the nests, with mesh covering the top.

Distant as these conservation efforts may seem, we too, can contribute to the survival of the Wilson’s Plover and shorebirds in general — let’s try to keep our dogs on the leash near shorebird habitats.

THE WILSON’S PLOVER

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LOOK OUT FOR…

The %*#@ Acacia

by Lynn Kaak

As you travel through the Caribbean, every month there’s something special to look out for.

If you are a hiker, hasher, or enjoy getting off the roads even just a little bit on your shoreside excursions, you have encountered the Acacia, also colloquially referred to as the Cassie. When this tree or bush is mentioned, expletives are often a part of the discussion. This is that spiky bush or tree that lines the trails in a number of places.

The one that scratches the unwary, gouges the unlucky, and is possibly the leading collector of the “bush tax”. Yeah, that one. This really is one to “look out for”.

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OCTOBER 2018 CARIBBEAN COMPASS

The acacia is a landmark in dry tropical landscapes. Its feathery leaves and fuzzy flowers belie its sharp thorns

PAGE 31

PICK UP! Vachellia farnesiana is originally from the Caribbean area, but it has spread around the temperate world. Cassie can grow to a height of five to ten metres (15 to 30 feet). The leaves grow off of the branches exactly opposite from each other, with a pair of thorns growing from each junction of these branches. The fuzzy yellow flowers grow from the same area as the thorns, and can provide a procession of blooms along the base branch. While preferring tropical temperatures, it will put up with temperatures that get down as low as 7°C (about 45°F). It is a hardy tree or bush, and can handle a range of acidity in the soil, has no problem with salt, and is rather indifferent to rain or drought. Clay? No problem. Sand? Not a concern. It basks in the full sun, and thrives in grassy areas.

This is a member of the pea family with an attitude, the flamboyant’s badass cousin. Although it may be useful to bring some life back to an arid wasteland or cut down erosion, it also can be a nuisance as it is willing to take over if given the chance.

Farmers in many areas have declared war on it; it is deemed an invasive species in a number of places, with it earning the nickname of “Ellington’s Curse” in Fiji.

While the thorns — up to one and a half centimetres (more than half an inch) long — make Cassie undesirable to brush against, it does have many redeeming qualities.

In some areas, the wood is used for its tannins in the curing of leather. The leaves, roots, bark and flowers all have their uses for traditional medicine, while the seed pods (looking like very fat pods of peas) are nutritious and readily consumed by birds, rodents and livestock. The small, yellow, fuzzy flowers have a lovely scent, much like that of violets, and are used as a base for perfumes and other toiletries: Acacia oil is worth a great deal of money. The tree responds well to being cut back, and is often utilized as natural fencing, as it tends to spread out from multiple trunks and takes up space very effectively, and the thorns tend to deter man or beast trying to force their way through the tangle of spiked branches.

Acacia, or Cassie — look out for it!

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PAGE 32

Winter Squash or Pumpkin Soup

BY ROSS MAVIS

Whenever you get a chance to fill your vegetable locker with winter squash or West Indian pumpkins, don’t pass up the opportunity.

Winter squash and pumpkins will keep well without refrigeration as long as they are stored in a well-ventilated and somewhat cool locker or closet. We find they keep best in a locker below the water line. Cooked squash and pumpkin also freezes well.

These versatile vegetables can be used for sweet or savory recipes. We enjoy them as a vegetable side dish and the basis for great soups. Sweet squash dishes include Squash Coffee Cake, Buttercup Squash and Apple Muffins, Chocolate Cake with Grated Squash (so moist and yummy), Baked Squash Custard, and even Buttercup Squash Ice Cream. When cooking squash as a side dish, steam it until soft and drain well before adding butter, salt and pepper.

In the Caribbean, the green-and-white-striped West Indian pumpkin (different from the orange Jack-o-Lantern variety) can be used in virtually all winter squash recipes.

The most challenging part of using winter squash or pumpkin is removing its hard skin. Once the interior pulp and seeds are removed, the outer skin can be removed using a vegetable peeler — or simply bake or steam the pieces of squash with the skin still on until the flesh is soft and eaten easily.

We also often soften the skin by placing a whole squash in the microwave for a few minutes (a pumpkin won’t fit). Poke the skin with a sharp knife or fork beforehand; otherwise, it might explode. Once the skin is softened, it’s easy to peel. Cut the squash in half, and using a spoon, scoop out the seeds, scraping the interior until smooth. Lay the half squash on a flat surface and remove both ends. Then holding squash half securely, peel with Y-shaped peeler. Slice squash and cut into small squares. Now you’re ready to prepare your favourite recipe, or to cook and mash and freeze in serving-size portions. We make two-serving freezer bags (about one Cup), because there are two of us aboard. It can be easily re-heated and saves a lot of time when preparing quick meals or desserts.

Winter Squash/Pumpkin Soup 2 Tablespoons butter 1 Cup finely chopped yellow onions 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder

1 1/2 pounds buttercup squash or West Indian pumpkin 1 tart apple (e.g. Granny Smith) peeled, cored and chopped 1 1/2 Cups chicken stock 1 Cup apple juice — more if soup is too thick Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Fresh parsley leaves and sour cream to garnish

Melt butter in a large, heavy pot. Add chopped onions and curry powder and cook, covered, over low heat until onions are tender, about 20 or 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel squash/pumpkin, scrape out seeds and chop to roughly oneinch pieces.

When onions are tender, add stock, squash and apples, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are very tender, about 25 minutes. Using an electric hand blender or a food processor, process until smooth. Add apple juice to the pot and continue to blend, ensuring the desired consistency is obtained. Add more juice or chicken stock if the soup is too thick.

Season with salt and pepper, simmer briefly to heat through, and serve hot, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a fresh parsley leaf.

Soup can be made up to four days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over very low heat, stirring to avoid burning. It can also be frozen for up to six months.

Makes 4 to 6 portions.

WHAT’S ON MY MIND Sometimes we move away from activities we love. We digital numbers. still love them, but other undertakings dominate our Alarms exist for every aspect of the boat. The sonar time. That’s what happened to me and cruising. beeps if the bottom gets shallow. Forget sticking your As Forrest Gump said, “shit happened”, and I head in the stinky bilge — if the water rises there’s a was away from boats for a few years. Then I sensor. It’s the same with engine overheating and batreturned. It was as if I had become a time traveler tery consumption. No need to even watch the horizon from the past, now lost in the future. Sailing once — got radar that will buzz when some big freighter again from Trinidad to Carriacou, I wondered how comes close. Yet another set of initials (if you submuch old information I’d lost, and what new sailing scribe, and we must subscribe to every app, otherwise traits would I be taught. New facts and names there’s no cocktail conversation) — AIS — even tells began to crowd out old memories, and so much you the name of a boat in your vicinity. No longer are really had changed. ships strangers passing in the night.

If you’ve been cruising continually, the changes Computerized notification of intentions to enter a might not be as noticeable because you have gradually sovereign nation’s waters, namely SailClear, ceracclimated. And if you’ve just started cruising recently, tainly has changed things. Now Immigration is you have no idea how basic “before” was. expecting you, rather than the vessel just appearing Cruising was once about being independent, findat their dock. ing secluded hidey-holes, and being self-reliant — Once upon a time, the now almost-retired, shortnot about electronics. Getting an updated paper wave, single-sideband radio had to be listened to at chart or a new cruising guide was a big deal. Cruising certain times to catch a weather report. Then the VHF

By Ralph Trout was cherished as being “out of touch” and the only gained prominence with the morning net, security reading material might be a yellowed, dog-eared briefs, and of course, the weather. Those weather paperback or an old magazine found at a bar. A letter — ink on paper, snail-mail reports have now somehow transformed into infotainment, providing several weath— was cherished when it finally reached some island post office. A phone call er channels, blogs, and a multitude of websites, not to mention personalities. Again, meant actually finding a phone, and then dialing a handful of numbers and hoping it is all contained on the ever-present tablet. you had the correct amount of change. The wonderful and awful internet was only The constant whirl of the wind jenny was a new sound to me. available at certain locations — “internet cafés” — that contained a bevy of comBut some things haven’t changed. The broken dreams of floating romantics are still puters that operated very slowly. Yachties were all grateful when messages finally obvious, yet they sail on to a next horizon, trying to extend the dream. Self-important got sent, sometimes after painstaking hours of repeatedly losing a frail connection. people still make big wakes with their dinks in the early morning, plowing through Personal computers and laptops weren’t readily available and sometimes bit the a quiet anchorage and they might as well shout, “Hey, I gotta be awake — so should dust quickly after a few rough seas. everyone else!” I’d purged the memories of the blaring music in the mini buses, and By the time I resumed cruising, everything had become computerized and now the internet, computers, and especially phones are so damn important. Fast communications rule. That seems so strange: fragile, valuable electronics becoming such a necessity in a continually humid, salty climate — but then, today everything is disposable.

LET’S STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT CHANGES

A new set of initials — WiFi — has altered where we lay a hook, unless the boat has its own personal hot-spot antenna. First, it was floppies, then CDs, DVDs, then externals and flash drives, and now downloads. Whatever is necessary can be found from the great Cloud, whatever and wherever that is. And in turn we don’t need Ziplocs or manila envelopes to protect our info; it can all be stored in the Cloud.

Don’t worry, everything is backed up and insured. There’s supposedly no immediacy about anything while cruising — except getting on the Net as soon as possible after anchoring in a beautiful setting. Gotta show everyone on Facebook or Instagram where you are!

In the past, we carried little paper notebooks for directions, addresses, and phone numbers. Soon, everything was on our phones, but now an electronic tablet is mandatory as a camera, to display the family photos with past destinations, and to chart future travels.

Phone calls are now done by Skype or smart phone. It somehow became necessary to see who you are speaking with. The computer announces when a new e-mail arrives with blessed attachments. Messages, music, movies, magazines and books all appear magically on a screen. Phones can be on roaming, accompanied by constant overcharging complaints, or multiple SIM cards are required — one for every island.

Another set of initials — GPS — sounded “Charge!” No one could get lost anymore.

Bearing, speed over the ground, and estimated time of arrival makes it easy to hold a schedule. Electronic charts don’t need to be unrolled and don’t take up space on the nav table. That small table below decks is now surrounded by multiple flashing

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taxis but here they still are the expensive difference between buses and taxis, are.

I’d forgotten the flags of many boats’ home countries, but not the national cruising traits. It’s still widely known who can’t anchor and what countries’ cruisers are more boisterous after a few pints. Hats, as always, are a necessity for identity among cruisers.

I remembered not to swim in the anchorage when every boat is flushing their head. There’s always the argument of the mooring fee versus anchoring, steel halyard versus line, and privacy of the cramped head versus the inhibitions of aftdeck bathing.

Electricity and batteries will always be a conversation starter. Only fresh water vies as an equally important subject.

Unchanged, too, are the luxurious, subtle sounds of the water lapping at the hull.

I had forgotten the delightful perspectives that can be viewed from a boat, changing depending on the angle as you swing on your anchor. Patience on a sailboat underway, admiring subtle rainbows, nuances of the wind and salt spray, still equates to sitting in a museum and admiring a masterpiece.

We longtime cruisers should stop complaining about the changes. Times change, and it is obviously better to change with them, if it’s in your boating budget. Still, the things that don’t change are what make cruising worth it.

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GRENADINES SAILS & CANVAS • BEQUIA •

Spectacular Views of Tyrrel Bay & the Southern Grenadines to Grenada

NEW SAILS, SAIL REPAIRS, U/V COVERS FOAM LUFFS, BIMINI, DODGERS AWNINGS, DINGHY COVERS TRAMPOLINES,STACKPACKS & LAZY JACK SYSTEMS

Contact:

Located opposite G.Y.E. (northern side of Admiralty Bay) Tel (784) 457-3507 / 457-3527 (evenings) e-mail: gsails@vincysurf.com

473-443-7058 / 404-9280 www.caribtrace.com

VHF Ch16/68

UNION ISLAND St. Vincent & the Grenadines

Tel/Fax: (784) 458 8918 capgourmet @vincysurf.com VHF Ch 08

CARRIACOU REAL ESTATE Land and houses for sale For full details see our website: www.carriacou.net Contact: islander@spiceisle.com Tel: (473) 443 8187

PAGE 35

LAND FOR SALE

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

Kitchen open till 9pm - Bar until… Closed Weds.

Located on the Belmont Walkway Reservations: (784) 458-3474 or VHF 68

OCTOBER 2018

• New bay-front deck • Upstairs & Patio dining with full menu: pizza, grilled fish, salads cocktails & tropical drinks, wine, espresso, tapas & desserts • Free wifi & charging stations • Music & Sundowner Specials

The Multihull Company The World’s Leader in Multihull Sales Service, and Charter

+1-215-508-2704 www.MultihullCompany.com

Grenada Tortola West Palm Beach

Trinidad St. Martin Fort Lauderdale

A Different type of Yacht Brokerage At The Multihull Company (TMC), we build lasting relationships with new and returning clients every day. We have become the industry leader in catamaran and trimaran sales because we are operated by passionate, highly trained sailors—not just salesmen.

With the largest range of brokerage catamarans and trimarans for sale globally, the most comprehensive database of information on every multihull we sell, and agents throughout the United States, Caribbean, and globally, we are perfectly suited to assist you in the purchase or sale of your multihull.

Featured Caribbean Listings

Phil Berman - President Philadelphia, PA +1-215-508-2704

Alexis De Boucaud St Martin +590 690 58 66 06

Phil@multihullcompany.com

Alexis@multihullcompany.com

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 36

Broker Spotlight

Chris Rundlett Grenada +1-473-457-3245

Jaryd Forbes Trinidad & Tobago +1-868-680-8909

Chris@multihullcompany.com

Jaryd@multihullcompany.com

2011 Privilege 615 $1,299,000

2011 Royal Cape Majestic 53

$685,000

2015 FP Sanya 57 $1,299,000

2015 ALIBI 54 $899,000

2015 Lagoon 560 S2 $1,250,000

2014 Lagoon 450 $599,000

2011 Lagoon 450 $495,000

2010 Knysna 480 $539,000

2012 Catana 47 $530,000

2012 Lagoon 500 $569,000

2014 Antares 44 $695,000

2001 Lagoon 570 $499,999

SOME RECENTLY SOLD BOATS D! L SO

2016 FP Helia 44

!

LD O S Carl Olivier Virgin Islands +596 696 97 87 33

Chrystal Young Grenada +1-473-406-3017

Carl@multihullcompany.com

Chrystal@multihullcompany.com

2013 Leopard 48

D! L SO

2015 Catana 47

!

LD O S

2014 LAGOON 450

D! L SO

2009 Catana 50

!

LD O S

2004 Switch 51

D! L SO

2004 Dolphin 460

!

LD O S

2006 Sunreef 62

To view hundreds more of our multihull listings, check out multihullcompany.com

CALENDAR

CARIBBEAN WOODS

OCTOBER 1 8 10 10 - 13 11 – 14 12 12 – 14 15 16 17 20 21 24 25 26 – 28

27 – 28 TBA

Located 3 minutes from Port Elizabeth ferry landing.

Top hardwood supplier in the region. Largest supplier locally of Pine, Ply, Steel, Hardware and Paint. Double digit growth in past few years. Established business with solid balance sheet. 20,000 sq ft premises. Staff of 6. Wide and varied customer base. Opportunities to expand product range.

Enquiries to Neil at winbeq@yahoo.co.uk or +1 784 431 8124

HELP TRACK HUMPBACK WHALE MIGRATION Your contributions of tail fluke photographs of humpback whales from the Caribbean region are critical for conservation efforts.

INTERESTED in Helping? Go to www.CARIBTAILS.org

1

All information was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time this issue of Compass went to press — but plans change, so please contact event organizers directly for confirmation.

If you would like a nautical or tourism event listed FREE in our monthly calendar, please send the name and date(s) of the event and the name and contact information of the organizing body to sally@caribbeancompass.com

The Best Stories from Caribbean Compass Now available as an eBook at Amazon.com, Cruising Life: The Best Stories from Caribbean Compass is a collection of 49 outstanding stories selected from more than 200 issues of Caribbean Compass.

Ann Vanderhoof, author of An Embarrassment of Mangoes and The Spice Necklace, says, “Given a new life beyond the magazine, the pieces in this collection resonate and sparkle in a very different way, offering new pleasures.

Beyond its entertainment — the first piece had me hooked — the collection is sure to spark ideas in both cruising sailors and armchair dreamers.”

US$8.95 Read a preview and order Cruising Life now at www.amazon.com!

PAGE 37

Public holiday in Antigua (Independence Day) and some other places (All Saints’ Day) 2 Public holiday in Haiti (All Souls’ Day) 2 Salty Dawg Fall Rally to the Caribbean Leaves Virginia, USA. www.saltydawgsailing.org 3-4 Public holidays in Dominica (Independence Day and Community Day) 4 Barbados National Dinghy Championships. BYC, www.barbadosyachtclub.com 5 Public holiday in Dominican Republic (Constitution Day) 5–9 Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute annual conference, San Andres, Colombia. www.gcfi.org/gcfi_71-conference 7 Public holiday in Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana (Divali, Festival of Lights) 10 – 13 USVI Charter Yacht Show. www.VIPCA.org 11 Start of ARC+Cape Verdes rally, Gran Canaria to St. Lucia via Cape Verdes, www.worldcruising.com/arc 11 Public holiday in Puerto Rico and USVI (Veterans’ Day) 12 Public holiday in Cayman Islands (Remembrance Day) 15 Start of ARC+St. Vincent rally, Gran Canaria to St. Vincent via Cape Verdes, www.worldcruising.com/arc 17 – 18 Discover the Caribbean Dinghy Regatta, Puerto Rico. PYFC, www.ponceyachtandfishingclub.com 18 Public holiday in Haiti (Battle of Vertieres Day) 19 Public holiday in Belize (Garifuna Settlement Day) 21 Public holiday in Guyana (Youman Nabi) 22 Public holiday in Puerto Rico (Thanksgiving) 23 FULL MOON 24 Jolly Harbour Yacht Club Annual Regatta, Antigua. JHYC, www.jhycantigua.com 25 Start of ARC rally, Gran Canaria to St. Lucia, www.worldcruising.com/arc 25 Public holiday in Suriname (Independence Day) 30 Public holiday in Barbados (Independence Day) 30 – 2 Dec Mango Bowl Regatta, St. Lucia. SLYC, www.stluciayachtclub.com 30 – 2 Dec Course de l’Alliance, St. Maarten, St. Barts, Anguilla. SMYC, www.smyc.com TBA OCC Western Caribbean Rally. suzanne.chappell@icloud.com

Well respected and very profitable business.

Established 2002.

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

NOVEMBER

BUSINESS FOR SALE IN BEQUIA

OCTOBER 2018

26 - 28 27

Public holiday in St. Lucia (Thanksgiving Day) Public holiday in the Bahamas (National Heroes’ Day), and in Puerto Rico and USVI (Columbus Day) Public holiday in Curaçao (Curaçao Day), in Suriname (Maroons Day) and in Cuba (Independence Day) Bonaire International Sailing Regatta. www.infobonaire.com/event/bonaire-sailing-regatta Grenada Dive Fest. http://www.puregrenada.com/plan/events/pure-grenada-dive-fest Public holiday in Belize (PanAmerican Day), and in Venezuela (Indigenous Resistance Day) Caribbean Sailing Association Annual Conference, Antigua. caribbean-sailing.com/event/csa-annual-conference Public holiday in Jamaica (National Heroes’ Day) St. Lucia International Billfish Tournament. www.facebook.com/slugamefishingassociation Public holiday in Haiti (Anniversary of the Death of Dessalines) Willy T Virgins Cup, BVI. RBVIYC, www.royalbviyc.org Public holiday in BVI (St. Ursula’s Day) FULL MOON Public holiday in Grenada (Thanksgiving Day) Discover the Caribbean Regatta, Ponce, Puerto Rico. PYFC, www.ponceyachtandfishingclub.com World Creole Music Festival, Dominica. dominicafestivals.com Public holiday in St. Vincent & the Grenadines (Independence Day), local boat races in Bequia Caribbean Dinghy Championship, Antigua. caribbean-sailing.com/sailing-development/caribbean-dinghy-championship Foxy’s Halloween Catfight (catamaran regatta), Jost Van Dyke, https://foxysbar.com

CLASSIFIEDS BOATS FOR SALE

BOSTON WHALER 2016 OUTRAGE 370 3 x Mercury Verado 300 hp, < 100 hrs, still on warranty, too many options to list. Lying Port Louis, St George‘s, Grenada.

Reduced to US$360,000. Tel: (473) 403-9622, E-mail: mrossy52@gmail.com

OCTOBER 2018

65’ CREW BOAT And/or business in Sint Maarten Caribbean.

Excellent condition, operating as a passenger ferry. Tel: (607) 846-7222/ (599) 416-5885.

E-mail: sabactransport.com

47’ BENETEAU OCEANIS 2003 Owner's version, loaded.

Lying St Kitts, US$157,000, never chartered. E-mail: jsodyssey3@gmail.com

FOR SALE

CATERPILLAR 3512 ENGINE 1660hp; 1800 rpm Bequia Tel: (784) 493-7244

32' BHM Downeast Cruiser Built by Atlantic Boat Co. Maine 1993 Cummins 300hp, 1600 hrs. 200gls. fuel, new Raymarine auto pilot, chart plotter/fishfinder, fridge, inverter.

Sleeps 4, perfect fish/dive/charter. Lying Bequia.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

HENDERSON 35 PROTOTYPE "ENZYME" Built by Paul Amon, race ready, winning track record as Crash Test Dummies, Caribbean race boat of the year, winning 8 regattas in 1 year. Renamed Enzyme, 1st in Racing Class St. Maarten, BVI, Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago over 12 years. 2017 T&T race boat of the year. Oceanvolt upgrade US$60,000, as is US$40,000. E-mail: Info@greenventuresltd.com

BENETEAU OCEANIS 440 1992 Well maintained, cruising ready. Seasonal live-aboard owners. Lying South Grenada.

US$85,000. E-mail: Seasett@ gmail.com

MISC. FOR SALE

2 X YANMAR INBOARD Diesel engines, type 3GM30, complete w/ SD 30 sail drives & instrument panel. US$8,000 for the pair. E-mail: howard@ alliedexport.co.uk

BEQUIA BELMONT “A Little Bequia Gem” Typical West Indian cottage, set on 20,866 sq ft of land. Located at Belmont, Bequia close to Gingerbread /Frangi turning, easy walking distance to Port Elizabeth, Belmont Walkway & beaches. Tel: (784) 4584246 / (784) 533-1414 E-mail: tipipunnett@yahoo.co.uk

DON‘T LEAVE PORT WITHOUT IT

E-mail: caribpub@gmail.com

CLASSIFIEDS

BEQUIA - MT. PLEASANT Residential Building Lot. Lower Mt. Pleasant road, Belmont area.

Admiralty Bay view, walk to restaurants. 10,478 sq/ft. US$185,000.

Island Pace Real Estate.

E-mail: info@islandpace.com

PANAMA - PANAMA CITY “Paradise Mansion” Fully furnished 7b/7b, 3 car garage, pool, gardens, gym, theater, office & all the toys. Golf course, bilingual schools, hospitals, malls, restaurants, 24hrs supermarkets 10 minutes away. 15 minutes from airport/city center. NO HURRICANES. 1200mt/660 construction, US$550,000.

Sold by US owner. E-mail: edgardogarcia1@gmail.com

PRICE REDUCED - MUST SELL

US 50¢ PER WORD

Include name, address and numbers in count. Line drawings/photos accompanying classifieds are US$10.

Pre-paid by the 10th of the month e-mail: shellese@caribbeancompass.com

COMPASS CARTOONS

GRENADA - ST. GEORGE’S Very successful Marine Fabrication & Engineering Business. We design & manufacture a full range of stainless, aluminum & bronze items for the yachting industry; we repair items & offer advice on difficult projects. We have a total workforce of 6 personnel, 5 trained technicians & 1 apprentice. The business is situated in a popular & very busy boat yard in Grenada which is excellently placed for visiting yachts to gain easy access to our services. We also work all over the south of Grenada.

The business is busy all year

DOUG BENNETT

PROUT 45 CATAMARAN 1997 The classic blue water cruising cat in immaculate condition. One owner from new, very well equipped. Lying Bequia. Competitively priced for a non broker sale. Sail the world in comfort & safety for US$199,000 ONO. E-mail Richard Roxburgh rroxactionbequia@gmail.com

YOUR CLASSIFIED IS ON-LINE!

BERGY XL.1 1kw wind turbine, house/farm, 24V, 1000 watts, hybrid controller (solar-wind).

Very little use. Tower available.

In Bequia. Offers! E-mail: caribpub@gmail.com

STEVE DELMONTE

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 38

TAYANA 37 1981 SLOOP Ready for blue water sailing.

Lying Trinidad & Tobago.

US$50,000.

E-mail: svspectre@live.com

23’ JEANNEAU CAP CAMARAT 675 2 x 85hp 2 stroke Yamahas w/ 70hrs use, bimini, VHF, CD, anchor, life jackets, trailer.

Lying Mustique, EC$49,500 ONO. Tel: (784) 533-0213 E-mail: mfindlay@mustique.vc

round as Grenada has 12 month yachting season & many yachts spend the hurricane season here. We have been in business for twelve years & we have established an excellent reputation throughout the Southern Caribbean for top quality work & great service. The owner would now like to retire & go cruising himself.

E-mail: technick.nw@gmail.com Tel: (473) 405-1560.

ADVERTISERS INDEX ADVERTISER

Alexis Food Stores Art Fabrik Basil’s Bar Blue Lagoon Hotel & Marina Boat Paint & Stuff Bocas Yacht Club & Marina Budget Marine Budget Marine St. Kitts Camara Maritima Captain Gourmet Caribbean Woods Carriacou Marine Centenario & Co Clarkes Court Cruising Life Curaçao Marine Douglas Yacht Services

LOCATION

Grenada Grenada SVG SVG St. Maarten Panama St. Maarten St. Kitts Panama SVG SVG Grenada Panama Grenada SVG Curaçao Martinique

PG# ADVERTISER

18 MP 10 20 29 29 2 MP 22 MP 37 19 30 15 37 9 33

LOCATION

Down Island Real Estate Doyle Offshore Sails Doyle's Guides DYT Yacht Transport Echo Marine Electropics Food Fair Free Cruising Guides Gallery Café Gonsalves Liquors Grenada Marine Grenada Sailing Week Grenada Tourism Grenadines Sails Horizon Yacht Charters Hydrovane International Marine Iolaire Enterprises

Grenada Tortola USA C/W Trinidad Trinidad Grenada C/W Grenada SVG Grenada Grenada Grenada SVG Grenada C/W UK

PG#

MP 4 31 14 8 MP 32 25 11 11 17 13 39 MP MP MP 30/31

ADVERTISER

Island Dreams Island Water World Johnson's Hardware LAC Services LIAT Lulley's Tackle Mac's Pizzeria Marc One Marine Marina Santa Marta Marina Zar-Par McIntyre Bros Mid Atlantic Yacht Services Ministry of Trade & Industry Multihull Company Neil Pryde Sails Northern Lights/Parts & Power Off Shore Risk Management

LOCATION

Grenada Sint Maarten St. Lucia SVG C/W SVG SVG Trinidad Colombia Dominican Rep. Grenada Azores Trinidad C/W Grenada Tortola Tortola

PG# ADVERTISER

MP 40 26 MP 6 MP MP MP 23 28 30 MP 5 36 MP 16 8

Power Boats Renaissance Marina Sea Hawk Paints Slipway Restaurant St. Kitts Marine Works St. Vincent Marine Center Suzuki Marine Technick Tobago Cays Turbulence Sails Venezuelan Marine Supply Whisper Cove Marina YSATT

LOCATION

Trinidad Aruba C/W Grenada St. Kitts SVG C/W Grenada SVG Grenada Venezuela Grenada Trinidad

PG#

MP 27 7 MP 9 28 12 MP MP 17/ MP MP MP MP

MP = Market Place pages 34 - 35 C/W = Caribbean-wide

OCTOBER 2018

CARIBBEAN COMPASS

PAGE 39

Published by Compass Publishing Limited, Anguilla, British West Indies, and printed by Guardian Media Limited, Trinidad & Tobago